Proverbs 8:20:3Prov.8.20.W3TAB
בְּ֝ת֗וֹךְ
betokh
“in the midst of”
- Transliteration
- be-TOKH
- Extended
- beh-TOHKH
- IPA
- /bəˈtoːx/
Meaning by language
- English
- in the midst of
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Bet | b with dagesh; v without dagesh | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Tav | t as in top | |
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū | |
| Holem | long 'oh' as in go | |
| Kaf Sofit | final form of Kaf — at word end | |
| Sheva | silent sheva — no sound; closes the syllable |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
be-TOKH
- clause
be-TOKH ne-ti-VOT mish-PAT
- sentence
be-O-rakh-tse-da-KA a-hal-LEKH be-TOKH ne-ti-VOT mish-PAT
Exegesis
The first phrase be-orakh tsedaqah {בְּאֹֽרַח־צְדָקָ֥ה | bə-’ô-rakh ṣə-dā-qāh} ‘in the way of righteousness’ and the second phrase be-tôkh nəṯîvôt miš-pāṭ {בְּ֝תוֹךְ נְתִיב֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט | bə-tôkh nə-ṯî-vôt miš-pā-ṭ} ‘in the midst of paths of justice’ bracket the main verb ’ăhalēkh {אֲהַלֵּ֑ךְ | ă-hăl-lēkh} ‘I walk,’ creating a balanced chiasm that emphasizes ongoing moral movement. The construct chain ’ôrāḥ-ṣədaqāh binds ‘way’ and ‘righteousness,’ while the parallel construct be-tôkh nəṯîvôt underscores the domain of action. Preserving “in the way… in the midst of paths…” in English maintains the Hebrew’s poetic symmetry and highlights the active journey implied by the imperfect verb.
In context — Proverbs 8:20
I walk in the way of righteousness , in the midst of the paths of justice .
About this coordinate
Proverbs 8:20:3 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 3 of Proverbs 8:20, so the Hebrew word בְּ֝ת֗וֹךְ (betokh) 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.8.20.W3, which extends further down to each syllable (Prov.8.20.W3.S1) and character.