Proverbs 23:2:5Prov.23.2.W5TAB
נֶ֣פֶשׁ
nefesh
“appetite”
- Transliteration
- NE-fesh
- Extended
- NEH-fesh
- IPA
- /ˈnɛfɛʃ/
Meaning by language
- English
- appetite
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Nun | n as in new | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| Pe | p with dagesh; f without | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| Shin | shin with right dot; sin with left dot |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
NE-fesh
- phraseyour reading level
NE-fesh A-ta
- clause
im-BA-al NE-fesh A-ta
- sentence
ve-sa-me-TA sa-KIN be-LO-E-KHA im-BA-al NE-fesh A-ta
Exegesis
The conditional particle im {אִם | ʾim} introduces a protasis with the nominal clause baal nefesh {בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ | ba-ʿal ne-pheš} “master of appetite,” and the independent pronoun atah {אָתָּה | ʾat-tā} emphasizes the subject. The Hebrew hyperbole of placing a weapon at the throat intensifies the warning typical of wisdom literature. English renders the conditional relationship explicitly and preserves the stark metaphor.
Root and etymology
Nun–Peh–Shinnun–pe–shin
“soul, life, appetite”
In context — Proverbs 23:2
And you must put a knife to your throat if you are a master of appetite .
About this coordinate
Proverbs 23:2:5 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 5 of Proverbs 23:2, so the Hebrew word נֶ֣פֶשׁ (nefesh) 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.23.2.W5, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.23.2.W5.S1) and character.