Proverbs 13:20 — ExegesisTAB

Proverbs 13:20 employs the intensified infinitive absolute halokh {הָלוֹךְ | hā·lō·ḵ} ‘going’ plus the Qal participle holekh {הוֹלֵ֣ךְ | hō·lêḵ} ‘walking’ to underscore continuous moral association. The direct object marker et {אֶת־ | ʾeṯ} specifies the group being walked with. A chiastic parallel structure contrasts association with the wise (yeḥkham {יֶחְכָּ֑ם | yē·ḥə·ḵām} ‘he will become wise’) and accompaniment of the foolish, introduced by the coordinating vav + participle ve-rōʿeh {וְרֹעֶה | wə·rō·ʿê} ‘and companion.’ The omission of et before kesilim {כְסִילִ֣ים | kə·ṣî·lîm} ‘fools’ renders that object indefinite and universal in scope. The imperfect yē·rō·ʿaʿ {יֵרֽוֹעַ | yē·rō·ʿaʿ} ‘he will come to harm’ functions as a result clause. In translation, “but” conveys the adversative force of the second vav, while “will become” and “will come to harm” preserve the predictive and aspectual contours of the Hebrew imperfect.