כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח טֹ֭וב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם תֹּֽ֝ורָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃
Contextual Introduction
Proverbs 4:2 sits within a father’s exhortation to his children to seek wisdom and not abandon her. This verse serves as a justification for heeding instruction, where the speaker (likely representing a teacher or father-figure) reminds the hearer that the teaching offered is both valuable and divinely anchored. The grammatical structure blends declarative and imperative forms, using construct chains and negative commands typical of wisdom literature to present moral instruction in compact poetic form.
Grammatical Focus: Declarative-Imperative Structure, Construct Chain, and Negative Imperative
1. כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח טֹ֭וב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם – Declarative with Construct Emphasis
– כִּ֤י introduces a causal explanation: “for” or “because.”
– לֶ֣קַח טֹ֭וב (“good instruction”) is a construct phrase—לֶ֣קַח (“instruction,” “teaching”) in construct with טֹ֭וב (“good”), emphasizing the quality of the instruction.
– נָתַ֣תִּי (“I have given”) is Qal perfect 1cs from נָתַן, and לָכֶ֑ם (“to you [plural]”) marks the indirect object.
This clause affirms the speaker’s action: “For I have given you good instruction.”
2. תֹּֽ֝ורָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ – Possessive Noun + Negative Imperative
– תֹּֽורָתִ֗י (“my Torah”) is a possessive form of תּוֹרָה (“instruction,” “law”), anchoring the content in the speaker’s teaching—possibly representing divine or parental wisdom.
– אַל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ is a negative imperative: אַל (“do not”) + תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ (Qal imperfect 2mp from עָזַב, “to forsake”).
Together: “Do not forsake my instruction.” This closes the verse with an exhortative imperative grounded in the earlier assertion.
Theological and Literary Implications
This verse displays a core theme of Proverbs: the inseparability of wisdom and obedience. The construct phrase לֶ֣קַח טֹ֭וב connects moral teaching with value—goodness itself. The possessive תֹּֽורָתִ֗י may carry divine overtones, pointing to instruction not merely from a human teacher but from YHWH through the parental voice.
The imperative אַל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ places responsibility on the learner. This tension between divine gift (“I gave”) and human response (“do not forsake”) captures the moral economy of biblical wisdom literature.
Ancient Versions and Lexical Parallels
The Septuagint reads: διδάσκω γὰρ ὑμᾶς μάθημα καλόν· μὴ ἐγκαταλίπητε τὸν νόμον μου—“for I teach you good instruction; do not forsake my law.” It captures the contrast between gift and command.
The Vulgate: quoniam doctrinam bonam dedi vobis, ne derelinquatis legem meam—reflects both the past perfect נָתַ֣תִּי and the negative imperative accurately.
Lexically, לֶ֣קַח is rare outside of wisdom texts and implies received insight, not merely factual knowledge. In later Hebrew, תּוֹרָה takes on more codified legal meaning, but in Proverbs, it retains the sense of formative instruction.
Grammatical Wisdom: When Imperatives Shape the Soul
Proverbs 4:2 exemplifies the didactic clarity of biblical Hebrew. The declarative clause grounds the command in relational generosity (“I gave”), while the imperative warns against abandonment. Grammar becomes pedagogy: truth is given, but its retention is volitional. The syntax models the balance of grace and responsibility at the heart of biblical wisdom.
