Proverbs 20:12ExegesisTAB

Proverbs 20 : 12 Hearing | Sight | Creation
12. Linguistic Exegesis
The verse opens with two parallel nominal constructs, ozen {אֹזֶן | ʾō·zen} ‘ear’ and ayin {עַיִן | ʿa·yin}, each modified by an attributive participle: shoma’at {שֹׁמַעַת | šō·ma·ʿat} ‘hearing’ and ro’ah {רֹאָה | rō·ʼāh} ‘seeing.’ This chiastic parallelism emphasizes sensory function. The coordinating conjunction vav {וְ | wə} links the noun phrases into a single propositional unit. Yahweh {יְהוָה | Yə·hō·wāh} precedes the verb asah {עָשָׂה | ʿā·sāh}, marking divine agency. The adverb gam {גַם | gam} combined with the dual construct šnē·hēm {שְׁנֵיהֶם | šnē·hēm} expresses the totality of the two elements. In English, preserving the parallel participial phrases maintains the Hebrew balance, while the em dash underscores the causal link to divine creation.

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