Proverbs 18:9:6Prov.18.9.W6TAB
לְבַ֣עַל
levaal
“to the master of or to the possessor of”
- Transliteration
- le-VA-al
- Extended
- leh-VAH-ahl
- IPA
- /ləˈva.ʕal/
Meaning by language
- English
- to the master of or to the possessor of
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Bet | b with dagesh; v without dagesh | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Ayin | deep guttural stop, voiced pharyngeal | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Lamed | l as in law |
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The word
Word in context
- word
le-VA-al
- phraseyour reading level
le-VA-al mash-khit
- clause
AKH HU le-VA-al mash-khit
- sentence
GAM mit-ra-PE bim-la-AKH-to AKH HU le-VA-al mash-khit
Exegesis
The construct phrase le·va·ʻál ma·šă·ḥîṯ {לְבַ֣עַל מַשְׁחִית | lə·va·ʻál ma·šă·ḥîṯ} ’to a master of destruction’ utilizes baʻal {בַעַל | ba·ʻal} ’master/owner’ and mashchit {מַשְׁחִית | ma·šă·ḥîṯ} from the root š-ḥ-t {שׁ־ח־ת | shin–ḥet–tav} ’to destroy’, yielding a vivid metaphor. The translation preserves the Hebrew nominal and verbless structure, emphasizing the parallel between negligence and ruin.
Root and etymology
l-b-blamed–bet–bet
“heart, inner center”
In context — Proverbs 18:9
Also, one who is slack in his work is brother to a master of destruction.
About this coordinate
Proverbs 18:9:6 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 6 of Proverbs 18:9, so the Hebrew word לְבַ֣עַל (levaal) 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.18.9.W6, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.18.9.W6.S1) and character.