Proverbs 23:19:3Prov.23.19.W3TAB
וַחֲכָ֑ם
vakhakham
“and be wise”
- Transliteration
- va-kha-KHAM
- Extended
- vah-khah-KHAAM
- IPA
- /vaħăˈxaːm/
Meaning by language
- English
- and be wise
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Chet | ch — deep guttural, as in Scottish loch | |
| Hateph Patach | reduced 'ah' | |
| Kaf | k with dagesh; kh without | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Mem Sofit | final form of Mem — at word end |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
va-kha-KHAM
- clause
she-ma-a-TA ve-NI va-kha-KHAM
- sentence
she-ma-a-TA ve-NI va-kha-KHAM ve-a-SHER bad-DE-rekh li-BE-kha
Exegesis
The paired imperatives va-chakham {וַחֲכָם | wa-ḥa-ḵā̈m} ‘and be wise’ and ve-asher {וְאַשֵּׁר | wə-ʼaš-šêr} ‘and direct’ form a progressive sequence from receptive hearing to intellectual growth and deliberate action.
Root and etymology
Rootchet–kaph–mem
“to be wise, skillful”
In context — Proverbs 23:19
Hear, my son, and be wise; and direct your heart to the way .
About this coordinate
Proverbs 23:19:3 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 3 of Proverbs 23:19, so the Hebrew word וַחֲכָ֑ם (vakhakham) 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.23.19.W3, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.23.19.W3.S1) and character.