Proverbs 21:1:1Prov.21.1.W1TAB
פַּלְגֵי־מַ֣יִם
palgemayim
“channels of water”
- Transliteration
- pal-GE-MA-yim
- Extended
- pahl-GEE-MAH-yeem
- IPA
- /pal.ɣeː.ˈma.jiːm/
Meaning by language
- English
- channels of water
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Pe | p with dagesh; f without | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Lamed | l as in law | |
| Sheva | silent sheva — no sound; closes the syllable | |
| Gimel | g as in good | |
| Tsere | long 'ey' as in they | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Mem | m as in mother | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Hireq | 'ee' as in machine | |
| Mem Sofit | final form of Mem — at word end |
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The word
Word in context
- word
pal-GE-MA-yim
- clause
pal-GE-MA-yim lev-ME-lekh be-YAD-ye-ho-VAH
- sentence
pal-GE-MA-yim lev-ME-lekh be-YAD-ye-ho-VAH al-KOL-a-SHER yakh-POts ya-te-NU
Exegesis
The Hebrew simile palgei-māyim {פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם | pəlgê-māyim} ‘streams of water’ in construct with lev-melech {לֵב־מֶלֶךְ | lēv-mêlêk} ‘heart of king’ portrays human intentions as fluid.
Root and etymology
פלגp-l-g
“to divide, split”
In context — Proverbs 21:1
A king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD , like channels of water; He steers it wherever He desires .
About this coordinate
Proverbs 21:1:1 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 1 of Proverbs 21:1, so the Hebrew word פַּלְגֵי־מַ֣יִם (palgemayim) 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.21.1.W1, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.21.1.W1.S1) and character.