| 1. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the construct phrase mishlei {מִשְׁלֵ֗י | miš·lê} ‘proverbs of’ followed by the genitive modifier shelomoh {שְׁלֹ֫מֹ֥ה | šĕ·lō·mō(h)} establishing a superscription. It employs antithetic parallelism, introducing two lines with ben {בֵּ֣ן | bēn} ‘son’, one qualified by chakham {חָ֭כָם | khā·khām} ‘wise’ and the other by kesil {כְּ֝סִ֗יל | kĕ·sîl} ‘fool’. The piel imperfect verb yesamach-av {יְשַׂמַּח־אָ֑ב | yĕ·sammā·ḥ-ʾāv} ‘he will make glad’ plus pronominal suffix forms a full clause “son makes glad father,” while the second line is verbless, using the construct phrase tugat imo {תּוּגַ֥ת אִמּֽוֹ | tû·gaṯ ʾim·mō} ‘grief of his mother’ to mean “is grief of his mother.” The prefixed waw in u-ven {וּבֵ֥ן | wū·bēn} marks the antithetic continuation. The structure contrasts positive and negative filial outcomes, highlighting wisdom’s benefit and folly’s harm. |