| 13. Linguistic Exegesis The proverb begins with amar {אָמַ֣ר | ʾāmar} ‘he said’, introducing direct speech by atsel {עָ֭צֵל | ʿāṣel} ‘sluggard’. It employs parallel syntax with shachal {שַׁ֣חַל | šaḥal} ‘lion’ + badarekh {בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ | bad-dā-reḵ} ‘in the way’, followed by ari {אֲ֝רִ֗י | ʾarī} ‘lion’ + bein {בֵּ֣ן | bên} ‘between’ + harechovot {הָרְחֹבֽוֹת | hār-ḥō-ḇōṯ} ‘open squares’. This repetition emphasizes the sluggard’s exaggerated fear, and the spatial move from a general route to public squares heightens the poetic force. The English retains the Hebrew’s parallelism and progression to convey this rhetorical impact. |