הַרְחֵ֣ק מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ וְאַל־֝תִּקְרַ֗ב אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח בֵּיתָֽהּ׃
Unveiling the Boundary
Some warnings do not describe danger — they draw maps around it. Proverbs 5:8 sketches a moral geography with two commands: one urging distance, the other forbidding approach. The target is a figure already introduced in the chapter — the forbidden woman — yet she is not directly named here. Instead, her domain is circled with negations and spatial directives. This verse brings into focus a rich linguistic feature: the Hebrew use of paralleled negative imperatives to frame ethical perimeters. Through these grammatical forms, we step into a world where syntax constructs sanctity by cautioning the steps that precede sin.
The Hidden Grammar
This verse features a tightly coordinated pair of negative imperatives:
- הַרְחֵ֣ק מֵעָלֶ֣יהָ דַרְכֶּ֑ךָ — “Make your path distant from her.”
- וְאַל־תִּקְרַ֗ב אֶל־פֶּ֥תַח בֵּיתָֽהּ — “And do not approach the entrance of her house.”
The first uses the hiphil imperative הַרְחֵק, a causative form implying intentional distancing. The second switches to a qal imperfect with negative particle</b: אַל־תִּקְרַ֗ב — a classic prohibitive form. Together, they form what scholars refer to as syntactic parallelism with asymmetrical mood: same structure, differing grammatical intensity. The hiphil gives the sense of active self-discipline, while the qal prohibition paints the edge — do not step closer, not even to the doorway.
Echoes Across the Tanakh
Exodus 19:12 — הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ עֲלֹ֥ה בָהָ֖ר — “Beware of going up the mountain.” The imperative here similarly forms a spatial warning with spiritual consequence. Sinai’s boundary mirrors the ethical distance required in Proverbs.
Psalm 1:1 — אַשְׁרֵי הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־הָלַךְ֙ בַּעֲצַ֣ת רְשָׁעִ֔ים — “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked.” This beatitude defines righteousness by what is not approached, much like Proverbs 5:8.
Genesis 39:10 — וַיְהִ֗י כְּדַבְּרָ֤הּ אֶל־יוֹסֵף֙ יוֹם֣ יוֹם֔ וְלֹ֤א שָׁמַע֙ אֵלֶ֔יהָ — Joseph’s refusal to approach Potiphar’s wife is lived obedience to the command of Proverbs 5:8, embodied in narrative form.
Syntax in Motion
The verse’s structure creates a concentric pattern of restriction:
[b>הַרְחֵק] → general spatial distancing (your path) [b>וְאַל־תִּקְרַב] → specific spatial prohibition (the entrance)
This movement — from path to threshold — mirrors temptation’s advance. Hebrew often leverages syntactical narrowing to create psychological space: a large zone of warning narrowing into a single location of danger. Note that both verbs are in the masculine singular imperative, directed to a generic reader (“you”), making the instruction universal and timeless.
When Words Create Worlds
In this verse, distance is more than geography — it is ethics made visible. Hebrew imperative syntax becomes a mode of protection. The call is not simply “do not sin,” but “do not step onto the trajectory.” The house becomes a metaphor, not just for adultery, but for any space where wisdom dissolves. The imperatives outline moral cartography: a man must mark out where not to walk — and where not even to glance.
| Hebrew Feature | Description | Example from Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Negative Imperative with Hiphil | Causative command for distancing or avoidance | הַרְחֵק מֵעָלֶיהָ דַרְכֶּךָ (Proverbs 5:8) |
| Qal Prohibitive Imperative | Standard prohibition using אַל + imperfect | וְאַל־תִּקְרַב אֶל־פֶּתַח בֵּיתָהּ (Proverbs 5:8) |
| Concentric Syntax | Broad-to-narrow construction mirroring temptation | Psalm 1:1 — לֹא־הָלַךְ… לֹא־עָמַד… לֹא־יָשַׁב |
Footsteps at the Threshold
Some boundaries are not crossed by accident — they are approached in increments. Proverbs 5:8 reminds us that wisdom lies not only in resisting the act, but in redrawing the path. The Hebrew imperatives do more than instruct: they stage a confrontation between autonomy and appetite, between movement and memory. And the sacred grammar whispers: retreat begins with a step — away.
