Proverbs 23:25ExegesisTAB

Proverbs 23 : 25 Joy | Family | Blessing
25. Linguistic Exegesis
The verse employs two synonymous jussive verbs—yismakh {יִשְׂמַח | yiśmaḥ} ‘let rejoice’ and ṭāgēl {תָּגֵל | ṭāgēl} ‘let exult’—in poetic parallelism. Each verb attaches a second person masculine singular suffix to the construct nouns avikha {אָבִיךָ | ʾāḇîḵā} and immekha {אִמֶּךָ | ʾimmēḵā}, while the perfect form yōladdəṯḵā {יֽוֹלַדְתֶּךָ | yōladdəṯḵā} carries a third person feminine singular suffix, yielding “she who gave birth to you.” The coordinating conjunction wə- links the celebratory imperatives, reinforcing the inclusive joy of parents and the birth-giver. The English renders the jussive with “let” (formal) and “may” (dynamic) to mirror the Hebrew imperative mood and maintains the parallel structure for rhetorical emphasis.

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