כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֗ר הֵן֮ לֹא־יָדַ֪עְנ֫וּ זֶ֥ה הֲֽלֹא־תֹ֘כֵ֤ן לִבֹּ֨ות הֽוּא־יָבִ֗ין וְנֹצֵ֣ר נַ֭פְשְׁךָ ה֣וּא יֵדָ֑ע וְהֵשִׁ֖יב לְאָדָ֣ם כְּפָעֳלֹֽו׃
(Proverbs 24:12)
If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not He who weighs hearts understand? And He who guards your soul, does He not know? And He will repay each person according to his deeds.
The Excuse that Fails
This proverb anticipates a human excuse: “We didn’t know.” But through the sharp tools of conditional syntax, rhetorical questions, and poetic justice, it shatters that defense. The verse is a masterclass in Biblical Hebrew logic and structure, illustrating how grammar reinforces moral responsibility.
Conditional Syntax: כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֗ר
The opening phrase כִּֽי־תֹאמַ֗ר (“If you say”) sets the conditional framework:
- כִּי – “if” (conditional use, not causal here)
- תֹאמַר – Qal imperfect 2ms of אָמַר, “you say”
This introduces a hypothetical scenario: the person might try to claim ignorance.
Direct Speech: הֵן לֹא־יָדַעְנוּ זֶה
The content of the conditional is direct speech:
- הֵן – “Behold” (used here to assert sincerity or shock)
- לֹא־יָדַעְנוּ – “we did not know” (1cp Qal perfect of יָדַע)
- זֶה – “this” (demonstrative pronoun referring to a moral obligation)
This is the excuse under scrutiny—an appeal to ignorance.
Rhetorical Interrogatives: הֲלֹא־תֹכֵן לִבֹּות…
The next clause rebuts the excuse with a rhetorical question:
- הֲלֹא – “Does not…” (interrogative particle + negation)
- תֹכֵן לִבֹּות – “He who weighs hearts” (Qal participle of ת־כ־ן + plural of לֵב)
This presents God as one who discerns internal motivations, rendering any outward excuse irrelevant.
Divine Surveillance Clauses: וְנֹצֵר נַפְשְׁךָ…
Another rhetorical question follows:
- וְנֹצֵר נַפְשְׁךָ – “And He who guards your soul”
- הוּא יֵדָע – “does He not know?”
The participle נֹצֵר emphasizes ongoing divine guardianship, while יֵדָע (Qal imperfect 3ms) affirms that divine knowledge is not past—it’s continuous and present.
Syntax Table: Divine Knowledge Structures
| Hebrew Clause | Literal Meaning | Grammatical Type |
|---|---|---|
| הֲלֹא־תֹכֵן לִבֹּות | Does not He weigh hearts? | Interrogative with participle |
| וְנֹצֵר נַפְשְׁךָ הוּא יֵדָע | He who guards your soul, He knows | Relative participle + independent clause |
Final Justice Clause: וְהֵשִׁיב לְאָדָם כְּפָעֳלֹו
The final line issues the consequence:
- וְהֵשִׁיב – “and He will repay” (Hifil perfect 3ms of שׁ־ו־ב, causative: to return/pay back)
- לְאָדָם – “to a person”
- כְּפָעֳלֹו – “according to his deed”
This is poetic justice—not based on what was claimed, but on what was done. The prefix כְּ (“according to”) introduces a standard of judgment: deeds, not declarations.
The Grammar of Moral Clarity
Proverbs 24:12 is a tightly structured moral warning:
- Conditional syntax introduces the hypothetical excuse.
- Rhetorical questions dismantle the pretense of ignorance.
- Participial clauses describe God’s continual discernment.
- Causal recompense closes the argument with justice.
In Biblical Hebrew, there is no hiding behind words. The verse reminds us that God’s grammar sees the heart, and what He repays is not our speech, but our actions.
