Proverbs 17:3:1Prov.17.3.W1TAB
מַצְרֵ֣ף
matsref
“a crucible”
- Transliteration
- mats-REF
- Extended
- mahts-REEF
- IPA
- /mat͡sˈreːf/
Meaning by language
- English
- a crucible
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Mem | m as in mother | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Tsade | ts as in cats | |
| Sheva | silent sheva — no sound; closes the syllable | |
| Resh | r guttural, like the French r | |
| Tsere | long 'ey' as in they | |
| Pe Sofit | final form of Pe — at word end |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
mats-REF
- clause
mats-REF la-KE-sef ve-KUR la-za-HAV
- sentence
mats-REF la-KE-sef ve-KUR la-za-HAV u-vo-KHEN li-BOT ye-ho-VAH
Exegesis
This proverb employs synonymous parallelism by pairing matzref {מַצְרֵף | maṣrēp} ‘refining pot’ with kur {כוּר | kūr} ‘furnace’, each governed by a lamed prepositional phrase (la-kesef {לַכֶּסֶף | lakkěsep} ‘for silver’ and la-zahav {לַזָּהָב | la-zāhāv} ‘for gold’) to indicate their respective purposes.
Root and etymology
צ־ר־ף
“to refine, smelt”
In context — Proverbs 17:3
The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but the LORD tests hearts.
About this coordinate
Proverbs 17:3:1 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 1 of Proverbs 17:3, so the Hebrew word מַצְרֵ֣ף (matsref) 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.17.3.W1, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.17.3.W1.S1) and character.