Proverbs 16:21:5Prov.16.21.W5TAB
שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם
sefatayim
“of lips”
- Transliteration
- se-fa-TA-yim
- Extended
- seh-fah-TAH-yihm
- IPA
- /səfɑːˈθa.jim/
Meaning by language
- English
- of lips
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
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 | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Hireq | 'ee' as in machine | |
| Mem Sofit | final form of Mem — at word end |
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The word
Word in context
- word
se-fa-TA-yim
- phraseyour reading level
u-ME-tek se-fa-TA-yim
- clause
u-ME-tek se-fa-TA-yim yo-SIF LE-kakh
- sentence
la-kha-KHAM-LEV yik-ka-RE na-VON u-ME-tek se-fa-TA-yim yo-SIF LE-kakh
Exegesis
In the parallel second clause, the coordinated noun phrase ū-měteq sefatayim {וּמֶתֶק שְׂפָתַיִם | ū-měteq səp̄āṯayim} ‘and sweetness of lips’ serves as the subject, with yôsîp̄ {יֹסִיף | yôsîp̄} ‘will increase’ governing the object lĕqaḥ {לֶקַח | lĕqaḥ} ‘learning.’ The couplet’s parallelism—first on inner character, then on speech—emphasizes that both discretion in heart and gracious communication yield valuable insight.
Root and etymology
s-p-tShin–Peh–Tav
“lips”
In context — Proverbs 16:21
The wise in heart will be called discerning , and the sweetness of lips increases learning .
About this coordinate
Proverbs 16:21:5 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 5 of Proverbs 16:21, so the Hebrew word שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם (sefatayim) 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.16.21.W5, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.16.21.W5.S1) and character.