| 7. Linguistic Exegesis The verse begins with the metaphor ramot {רָאמ֣וֹת | rā-mōṯ} ‘heights’ functioning as the plural predicate, followed by the indirect object le'eviyl {לֶֽאֱוִ֣יל | le-ʾĕ-ṿîl} ‘for a fool’ indicating the morally deficient subject. The locative phrase ba-šā-ʿār {בַּ֝שַּׁ֗עַר | ba-šā-ʿār} ‘at the gate’ sets the scene in the public forum. The negated imperfect clause lo yiftach pihu {לֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּֽיהוּ | lōʾ yi(p)-taḥ pî-hû} combines the negative particle lo with the verb and construct object to express inability or prohibition. The parallelism contrasts the abstract image of inaccessible wisdom with the concrete silence of the fool in the communal setting. |