אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

   i-VE-let

   folly
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 אֱוִלִ֣ים אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

   e-vi-LIM i-VE-let

   of fools folly
3. clause🔊 וּמוּסַ֖ר אֱוִלִ֣ים אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

   u-mu-SAR e-vi-LIM i-VE-let

   and instruction or discipline of fools folly
4. sentence🔊 מְק֣וֹר חַ֭יִּים שֵׂ֣כֶל בְּעָלָ֑יו וּמוּסַ֖ר אֱוִלִ֣ים אִוֶּֽלֶת׃

   me-KOR kha-YIM SE-khel be-a-LAV u-mu-SAR e-vi-LIM i-VE-let

   spring or fountain of life insight or prudence to its possessor and instruction or discipline of fools folly

Exegesis

The conjunction wə- introduces a contrasting clause where umusar {וּמוּסַ֖ר | wə-mû-sar} ‘discipline’ constructs with ewelim {אֱוִלִ֣ים | ʾĕ-wî-lîm} ‘fools,’ concluding with the predicate ivelet {אִוֶּֽלֶת | ʾi-vě-lêt} ‘folly.’ This chiastic parallelism highlights the contrast between the life-giving power of insight and the self-perpetuating error of the foolish.

Root and etymology

א־ו־ל🔊 aleph–vav–lamed

“foolishness”