| 26. Linguistic Exegesis The proverb opens with the noun sefatayim {שְׂפָתַ֥יִם | s̆əp̄āṯāyim} ‘lips’ fronted as an object, emphasizing the sensory image. This is followed by the verb yishaq {יִשָּׁ֑ק | yiššāq} ‘he will kiss’, forming a clause with an implied copula in English. The agent appears in the Hiphil participle mešiv {מֵ֝שִׁ֗יב | mēšîḇ} ‘one who returns’, which governs devarim {דְּבָרִים | dəḇārîm} ‘words’ modified by the adjective nekhochim {נְכֹחִֽים | nəḵôḥîm} ‘upright’. The phrase mešiv devarim nekhochim functions as the subject, characterizing the speaker whose habitual honesty is compared to a kiss. The preposed object sefatayim heightens the metaphor of affectionate affirmation. As typical in Hebrew proverbs, the comparison is implicit and is rendered with ‘is like’. The Hiphil participle conveys continual or characteristic action, presenting honest speech as an enduring trait. This compact structure uses concrete imagery to illustrate the relational warmth of truthful communication. |