| 22. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the construct phrase mekor {מְק֣וֹר | mə-qôr} ‘source’ joined to chayim {חַ֭יִּים | ḥay-yîm} ‘life,’ forming a metaphor of a life-giving fountain. Sekhel {שֵׂ֣כֶל | sē-k̇el} ‘understanding’ in absolute state appears next, with the beneficiary marked by the prepositional construct bealav {בְּעָלָ֑יו | bə-‘ā-lāv} ‘to its possessor.’ 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. |