Proverbs 26

Proverbs pose puzzling pieces for the reader. In the KJV, the first and second parts of the verse are sometimes reversed. The drama of the puzzle is lost. There is a caesura between these two parts. One cannot put them in reverse order without doing the readers' work for them. What's the point of that?

Proverbs also point out word nuances that a translator may not yet have seen. This chapter was only 20% guessed by my software - I took it from the bottom of the list in hopes of finding things that would propagate the guesswork to other places. Some of these proverbs strike me as bad examples, or as examples I don't believe are true of good human behaviour. One needs to love the dullard - whatever that means. All of us of course need effective governance. The dullard is not fool nor is it the traditional fool of Psalms 14 and 53 (who is not a fool at all, but senseless). There are three differing roots here and they need to be kept separate or we will only learn prejudice rather than love.

אויל Evil-(2 - part of a named person), foolish(7), foolishly(1), foolishness(11), maybe(14), obstinate(9)
כסל dullard's(2), dullard(23), dullards(21), folly(8), hip(1), Ksil(1 location name), stupid(3), stupidity(1)
נבל collapses(1), corpse(5), corpses(10), demeans(1), lute(8), lutes(4), make senseless(1), senseless women(1), senseless(11), senselessness(7), skin-bottle(2), skin-bottles(2), wither(7), withering(1)

Those are what I have derived so far from usage patterns. Several homonyms in the last one. I should not use folly strictly speaking, but there is no generic term for the stuff that dullards do. (Who knows, I may change this. I could use stupidity, but the word is too full of spit.)

With punishment in mind, I do not use rod as the KJV does with its 16th century assumption of the benefits of corporal punishment. The word is sceptre, a 'rod' that symbolizes good governance, not punishment. The end effect of good governance is peace and learning and maturity in those things that should be fostered among us humans. I don't see as much of that as I should within some locales.

For me in much of this poetic context of Proverbs, 'it / its' are personal non-gender-specific pronouns. The first several verses are about dullard, the next several about sluggard, and the remainder roughly about dissension and nattering.

Proverbs 26		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
כַּשֶּׁ֤לֶג ׀ בַּקַּ֗יִץ וְכַמָּטָ֥ר בַּקָּצִ֑יר כֵּ֤ן לֹא־נָאוֶ֖ה לִכְסִ֣יל כָּבֽוֹד	1		As snow in summer, and as rain at the harvest, so not lovely to a dullard is glory.	3e	4C	12 8
כַּצִּפּ֣וֹר לָ֭נוּד כַּדְּר֣וֹר לָע֑וּף כֵּ֥ן קִֽלְלַ֥ת חִ֝נָּ֗ם ל֣א תָבֹֽא	2		As a bird aimless, as a swallow flying, so a slight for nothing, will not come.	3e	4B	9 8
שׁ֣וֹט לַ֭סּוּס מֶ֣תֶג לַחֲמ֑וֹר וְ֝שֵׁ֗בֶט לְגֵ֣ו כְּסִילִֽים	3	B	A whip for a horse, a bit for an ass, but a sceptre for the hubris of dullards.	3e	4B	8 8
אַל־תַּ֣עַן כְּ֭סִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּ֑וֹ פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לּ֥וֹ גַם־אָֽתָּה	4		Do not answer a dullard according to its foolishness, lest you be considered its equal, even you.	3e	4B	9 7
עֲנֵ֣ה כְ֭סִיל כְּאִוַּלְתּ֑וֹ פֶּן־יִהְיֶ֖ה חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינָֽיו	5		Answer a dullard according to its foolishness, lest it become wise in its own eyes.	3e	4B	8 8
מְקַצֶּ֣ה רַ֭גְלַיִם חָמָ֣ס שֹׁתֶ֑ה שֹׁלֵ֖חַ דְּבָרִ֣ים בְּיַד־כְּסִֽיל	6		One limits feet, imbibes violence, who sends out words by the hand of a dullard.	3e	4B	9 10
דַּלְי֣וּ שֹׁ֭קַיִם מִפִּסֵּ֑חַ וּ֝מָשָׁ֗ל בְּפִ֣י כְסִילִֽים	7		Brought low are the legs of lame. So a proverb in the mouth of dullards.	3e	4B	8 8
כִּצְר֣וֹר אֶ֭בֶן בְּמַרְגֵּמָ֑ה כֵּן־נוֹתֵ֖ן לִכְסִ֣יל כָּבֽוֹד	8		As one who lobs a stone into a crowd, so is giving to a dullard, glory.	3e	4B	8 7
ח֭וֹחַ עָלָ֣ה בְיַד־שִׁכּ֑וֹר וּ֝מָשָׁ֗ל בְּפִ֣י כְסִילִֽים	9	g	A thorn goes up into the hand of a drunkard, and a proverb in the mouth of dullards.	3e	4B	8 8
רַ֥ב מְחֽוֹלֵֽל־כֹּ֑ל וְשֹׂכֵ֥ר כְּ֝סִ֗יל וְשֹׂכֵ֥ר עֹבְרִֽים	10	f	An overlord twisted everything, and the wage of a dullard and the wage of those who pass by.	3e	4A	5 10
כְּ֭כֶלֶב שָׁ֣ב עַל־קֵא֑וֹ כְּ֝סִ֗יל שׁוֹנֶ֥ה בְאִוַּלְתּֽוֹ	11	g	As a dog returns to its vomit, a dullard adjusts itself in its foolishness.	3e	4B	7 8
רָאִ֗יתָ אִ֭ישׁ חָכָ֣ם בְּעֵינָ֑יו תִּקְוָ֖ה לִכְסִ֣יל מִמֶּֽנּוּ	12		You have seen a person wise in its own eyes. more to expect of a dullard than this.	3e	4B	9 7
אָמַ֣ר עָ֭צֵל שַׁ֣חַל בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ אֲ֝רִ֗י בֵּ֣ין הָרְחֹבֽוֹת	13		Says a sluggard, Fierce lion on the way. Lion between the plazas.	3e	4B	9 6
הַ֭דֶּלֶת תִּסּ֣וֹב עַל־צִירָ֑הּ וְ֝עָצֵ֗ל עַל־מִטָּתֽוֹ	14	g	The gateway turns round on its hinge, and sluggard on its couch.	3e	4B	8 7
טָ֘מַ֤ן עָצֵ֣ל יָ֭דוֹ בַּצַּלָּ֑חַת נִ֝לְאָ֗ה לַֽהֲשִׁיבָ֥הּ אֶל־פִּֽיו	15	~	Sluggard buried its hand in the basin, too fatigued to restore it to its mouth.	3e	4C	10 8
חָכָ֣ם עָצֵ֣ל בְּעֵינָ֑יו מִ֝שִּׁבְעָ֗ה מְשִׁ֣יבֵי טָֽעַם	16		Wiser is sluggard in its own eyes, than seven replying with taste.	3e	4B	7 8
מַחֲזִ֥יק בְּאָזְנֵי־כָ֑לֶב עֹבֵ֥ר מִ֝תְעַבֵּ֗ר עַל־רִ֥יב לֹּֽא־לֽוֹ	17		Resolute in holding the ears of a dog, a passer-by interfering in a dispute not its own.	3e	4A	7 8
כְּֽ֭מִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶ֥ה זִקִּ֗ים חִצִּ֥ים וָמָֽוֶת	18	g	A male in consternation, shooting, bounding, arrows and death,	3e	3g	15
כֵּֽן־אִ֭ישׁ רִמָּ֣ה אֶת־רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝אָמַ֗ר הֲ‍ֽלֹא־מְשַׂחֵ֥ק אָֽנִי	19		So is a person that deceives its associate, and says, Am I not teasing?	3e	4B	8 9
בְּאֶ֣פֶס עֵ֭צִים תִּכְבֶּה־אֵ֑שׁ וּבְאֵ֥ין נִ֝רְגָּ֗ן יִשְׁתֹּ֥ק מָדֽוֹן	20		At the end of lumber quenched is fire, and when there is no one to natter, stilled is dissension.	3e	4B	8 8
פֶּחָ֣ם לְ֭גֶחָלִים וְעֵצִ֣ים לְאֵ֑שׁ וְאִ֥ישׁ מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים לְחַרְחַר־רִֽיב	21		Hot coal for burning coals and timber for fire, so is a person of dissension to scorch dispute.	3e	4B	11 9
דִּבְרֵ֣י נִ֭רְגָּן כְּמִֽתְלַהֲמִ֑ים וְ֝הֵ֗ם יָרְד֥וּ חַדְרֵי־בָֽטֶן	22		The words of one who natters are like tidbits, and these, they descend to the inner rooms of the belly.	3e	4B	9 7
כֶּ֣סֶף סִ֭יגִים מְצֻפֶּ֣ה עַל־חָ֑רֶשׂ שְׂפָתַ֖יִם דֹּלְקִ֣ים וְלֶב־רָֽע	23	B	Silver swill overlaid on a potsherd, lips inflamed and an evil heart.	3e	4B	10 8
בִּ֭שְׂפָתָיו יִנָּכֵ֣ר שׂוֹנֵ֑א וּ֝בְקִרְבּ֗וֹ יָשִׁ֥ית מִרְמָֽה	24	g	With its lips it masks hatred, but within it is set deceit.	3e	4B	8 7
כִּֽי־יְחַנֵּ֣ן ק֭וֹלוֹ אַל־תַּֽאֲמֶן־בּ֑וֹ כִּ֤י שֶׁ֖בַע תּוֹעֵב֣וֹת בְּלִבּֽוֹ	25		Though its voice is gracious, you will not believe in it, for seven abominations are in its heart.	3e	4C	11 9
תִּכַּסֶּ֣ה שִׂ֭נְאָה בְּמַשָּׁא֑וֹן תִּגָּלֶ֖ה רָעָת֣וֹ בְקָהָֽל	26		The one who covers hatred with allurement, its evil will be uncovered in the congregation.	3e	4B	9 9
כֹּֽרֶה־שַּׁ֭חַת בָּ֣הּ יִפֹּ֑ל וְגֹ֥לֵ֥ל אֶ֝בֶן אֵלָ֥יו תָּשֽׁוּב	27		One who digs a ditch in her will fall, and one who rolls a stone, to that one it will return.	3e	4B	7 9
לְֽשׁוֹן־שֶׁ֭קֶר יִשְׂנָ֣א דַכָּ֑יו וּפֶ֥ה חָ֝לָ֗ק יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה מִדְחֶֽה	28		A false tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth deals pushiness.	3e	4B	8 9