Proverbs 13:3:6Prov.13.3.W6TAB

שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו

sefatav

“his lips”

Transliteration: se-fa-TAV
Extended: seh-faa-TAHv
IPA: /səfaːˈtav/

Meaning by language

English: his lips

Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it

Result

שְׂ֝ + פָ + תָ֗יו

↓

se + fa + tav

↓

sefatav

Alphabet Analysis

	Shin	shin with right dot; sin with left dot
	Sheva	vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable
	Pe	p with dagesh; f without
	Qamets	long 'ah'
	Tav	t as in top
	Qamets	long 'ah'
	Yod	y as in yes; marks long ī
	Vav	v as in vine; marks long ō / ū

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Vowels (Niqqud)

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The word

Word in context

word
se-fa-TAV
phraseyour reading level
po-SEK se-fa-TAV
clause
po-SEK se-fa-TAV me-khi-TA-la-LO
sentence
no-TSER PI-v sho-MER naf-SHO po-SEK se-fa-TAV me-khi-TA-la-LO

Exegesis

The verse employs a parallel antithetical structure centered on two participial clauses: notzer {נֹצֵ֣ר | nō-ṣēr} ‘guarding’ piv {פִּ֭יו | pîw} ‘his mouth’ contrasts with posek {פֹּשֵׂ֥ק | pō-śēq} ‘opening wide’ sefataiv {שְׂפָתָ֗יו | sə-p̄ā-tāyw} ‘his lips.’

In context — Proverbs 13:3

Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life ; but whoever opens wide his lips comes to ruin .

About this coordinate

Proverbs 13:3:6 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 6 of Proverbs 13:3, so the Hebrew word שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו (sefatav) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Prov.13.3.W6, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.13.3.W6.S1) and character.

Read Proverbs 13:3 Read Proverbs 13