| 8. Linguistic Exegesis The verse opens with chakham-lev {חֲכַם־לֵב | khă-khâm-lēv} ‘wise of heart’, showcasing a construct chain that emphasizes inner disposition over external knowledge. The imperfect yikkaḥ {יִקַּח | yik-kâḥ} ‘will take’ signals a habitual reception of mitzvot {מִצְוֹת | mits-vōṯ} ‘commands’, highlighting openness to guidance. The adversative phrase ve-ʾewil sefatayim {וֶאֱוִיל שְׂפָתַיִם | we-ʾĕ-wīl sə-fâ-tā-yim} ‘but a fool of lips’ contrasts prudence with reckless speech. Finally, the Nifal imperfect yillavet {יִלָּבֵט | yil-lā-veṯ} ‘will be ruined’ conveys reflexive downfall as a direct consequence of foolish talk. The Hebrew parallelism (wise/take vs. fool/ruin) and construct-state relationships are preserved in the formal rendering to maintain rhetorical balance, while the dynamic translation smooths phrasings for contemporary clarity. |