Proverbs 27:21:1Prov.27.21.W1TAB
מַצְרֵ֣ף
matsref
“a refining pot”
- Transliteration
- mats-REF
- Extended
- mahts-REEF
- IPA
- /mat͡sˈreːf/
Meaning by language
- English
- a refining pot
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Mem | m as in mother | |
| Patach | short 'ah' as in father | |
| Tsade | ts as in cats | |
| Sheva | silent sheva — no sound; closes the syllable | |
| Resh | r guttural, like the French r | |
| Tsere | long 'ey' as in they | |
| Pe Sofit | final form of Pe — at word end |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
mats-REF
- clause
mats-REF la-KE-sef ve-KUR la-za-HAV
- sentence
mats-REF la-KE-sef ve-KUR la-za-HAV ve-ISH le-FI ma-ha-la-LO
Exegesis
The verse employs a parallel comparison where matzref {מַצְרֵף | maṣrēp} and khur {וְכוּר | wĕ-ḵûr} function as metaphors for testing precious metals—lakkesef {לַכֶּסֶף | la-ḵě-sêp} “for the silver” and lazahav {לַזָּהָב | laz-zāhāv} “for the gold”—followed by veish {וְאִישׁ | wĕ-’îš} “and a man” in a climactic position.
Root and etymology
ts-r-ptsade–resh–pe
“to smelt, refine”
In context — Proverbs 27:21
As the crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold, so a man is tested by his praise .
About this coordinate
Proverbs 27:21:1 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 1 of Proverbs 27:21, so the Hebrew word מַצְרֵ֣ף (matsref) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Prov.27.21.W1, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.27.21.W1.S1) and character.