בְּאֶ֣פֶ

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 בְּאֶ֣פֶ

   be-E-fes

   in absence of or for lack of
2. clause🔊 בְּאֶ֣פֶ עֵ֭צִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵ֑שׁ

   be-E-fes E-tsim tikh-BE-ESH

   in absence of or for lack of trees or wood a fire is quenched or goes out
3. sentence🔊 בְּאֶ֣פֶ עֵ֭צִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵ֑שׁ וּבְאֵ֥ין נִ֝רְגָּ֗ן יִשְׁתֹּ֥ק מָדֽוֹן׃

   be-E-fes E-tsim tikh-BE-ESH u-ve-EN nir-GAN yish-TOK ma-DON

   in absence of or for lack of trees or wood a fire is quenched or goes out and in there not being or and where there is no a whisperer or a slanderer it becomes quiet or it is silenced quarreling or strife

Exegesis

The verse employs two parallel protasis–apodosis sequences introduced by the prepositional phrases be'efes {בְּאֶ֣פֶס | bə-ʾê-pes} ‘in absence’ and uve'ein {וּבְאֵ֥ין | u-və-ʾê-n} ‘and in absence,’ each functioning as a conditional clause.