Proverbs 23:16:3Prov.23.16.W3TAB
בְּדַבֵּ֥ר
bedaber
“when speaking”
- Transliteration
- be-da-BER
- Extended
- beh-dah-BEER
- IPA
- /bə.daˈbeːr/
Meaning by language
- English
- when speaking
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Bet | b with dagesh; v without dagesh | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Dalet | d as in door | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Bet | b with dagesh; v without dagesh | |
| Tsere | long 'ey' as in they | |
| Resh | r guttural, like the French r |
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Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
be-da-BER
- phraseyour reading level
be-da-BER se-fa-TE-kha
- clause
be-da-BER se-fa-TE-kha mei-sha-RIM
- sentence
ve-ta-E-LO-ze-na khil-yo-TAI be-da-BER se-fa-TE-kha mei-sha-RIM
Exegesis
The prepositional infinitive bedabber {בְּדַבֵּ֥ר | bə-ḏab-bēr} ‘in speaking’ introduces a causal clause specifying that the rejoicing is triggered by the instrument of speech, with sefateikha {שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יךָ | sə-pha-ṯê-kā} ‘your lips’ as the subject of the infinitive and meysharim {מֵישָׁרִֽים | mê-ša-rîm} ‘upright things’ providing the ethical content. The structure tightly couples physiological imagery to moral speech, reflecting Hebrew wisdom theology.
Root and etymology
Rootdalet–bet–resh
“word, matter”
In context — Proverbs 23:16
And my inner being will rejoice when your lips speak what is upright .
About this coordinate
Proverbs 23:16:3 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 3 of Proverbs 23:16, so the Hebrew word בְּדַבֵּ֥ר (bedaber) 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.23.16.W3, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.23.16.W3.S1) and character.