גַּ֤ם אֱוִ֣יל מַ֭חֲרִישׁ חָכָ֣ם יֵחָשֵׁ֑ב אֹטֵ֖ם שְׂפָתָ֣יו נָבֹֽון׃
In the concise and penetrating style characteristic of Mishlei, Mishlei 17:28 delivers a proverb that is as surprising as it is subversive:
גַּם אֱוִיל מַחֲרִישׁ חָכָם יֵחָשֵׁב אֹטֵם שְׂפָתָיו נָבוֹן
“Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is accounted wise; he who closes his lips is deemed understanding.”
Beneath its compact form lies a rich grammatical structure — one that juxtaposes three syntactic pairs to explore the paradoxical value of silence. This verse does not simply praise restraint; it uses parallelism, nominal forms, and verbless clauses to redefine wisdom itself — not by what is said, but by what is withheld.
The Grammar of Restraint: Verbless Clauses and Their Power
Let us begin with the first clause:
גַּם אֱוִיל מַחֲרִישׁ חָכָם יֵחָשֵׁב
This translates as: “Even a fool, holding his peace, is accounted wise.” But note how this is structured — not with verbs, but with nominal forms and participles, creating a kind of verbal stillness that mirrors the theme of silence.
| Word | Root | Form | Literal Translation | Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מַחֲרִישׁ | ח-ר-שׁ | Qal active participle, m.s. | “being silent” | Used without finite verb — creates a verbless clause typical in poetic Hebrew. |
| יֵחָשֵׁב | ח-שׁ-ב | Nifal imperfect, 3ms | “is accounted” | Passive voice emphasizes external perception rather than internal quality. |
The use of a verbless clause followed by a passive verb creates a rhetorical effect: the fool’s silence is not an act of wisdom, yet it is perceived as such. This reflects a broader theme in Mishlei — that appearances can be grammatically persuasive, even if they are substantively misleading.
“He Who Closes His Lips” — A Nominal Parallel That Redefines Understanding
The second half of the verse reads:
אֹטֵם שְׂפָתָיו נָבוֹן
“He who closes his lips — understanding.”
This is a striking example of a predicative noun phrase, where the subject (אֹטֵם שְׂפָתָיו, “he who closes his lips”) is equated with the predicate (נָבוֹן, “understanding”). There is no verb — just a powerful assertion of identity through syntax.
| Word | Root | Form | Literal Translation | Grammatical Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֹטֵם | א-ט-ם | Qal active participle, m.s. | “one who stops” | Used here of closing the mouth or lips — a common metaphor for silence. |
| נָבוֹן | ב-י-ן | Passive adjective / noun | “understanding” | Functions as predicate nominative — no verb needed. |
This absence of a verb is intentional. In Biblical Hebrew poetry, especially in Mishlei, verbless structures often emphasize state over action, essence over motion. Here, the very omission of a verb reinforces the message: sometimes, understanding is not shown in speech, but in restraint.
Parallelism Without Equivalence: The Fool and the Wise Man Compared
The verse unfolds in two distinct parts, each centered on a different figure:
- אֱוִיל מַחֲרִישׁ – “a fool who is silent”
- אֹטֵם שְׂפָתָיו – “he who closes his lips”
Though both are described in terms of silence, their relationship to wisdom differs. The fool merely appears wise through quiet; the one who seals his lips is truly considered understanding. The contrast is subtle but crucial — it distinguishes between accidental appearance and intentional behavior.
This dual structure is classic synthetic parallelism: two lines that build upon each other, moving from lesser to greater, from appearance to reality. It is not enough to be silent — one must also control the impulse to speak. And in that control lies true wisdom.
Silence as Substance: How Word Choice Shapes Perception
The choice of specific roots further sharpens the meaning:
- ח-ר-שׁ (מַחֲרִישׁ) – implies a general state of being quiet, often involuntary or circumstantial
- א-ט-ם (אֹטֵם) – suggests deliberate closure, sealing something shut
These nuances deepen the moral insight: mere silence (as in the fool) may impress others, but only the conscious decision to withhold speech reveals genuine discernment. One is passive quiet; the other is active discipline.
This distinction is reflected in other proverbs that highlight the power of silence:
לְכָל־חָכְמָה רֹב־דָּעַת וְדַ֥ע הַֽחֲרֵשׁ – “In all wisdom, there is much knowledge — and knowing how to be silent” (Mishlei 17:27)
There too, silence is portrayed as a mark of insight — not emptiness, but fullness held in check.
The Wisdom That Speaks Through Silence
In Mishlei 17:28, grammar becomes the vehicle of irony. The fool, doing nothing, seems wise. The wise man, doing something — closing his mouth — is understood to be wise indeed.
Through the use of verbless clauses, passive perception, and precise lexical choices, the verse teaches that wisdom is not always found in speech, nor even in thought — sometimes, it resides in what remains unspoken.
And so, this brief line offers more than advice — it offers a lesson in presence, in self-control, and in the profound truth that in a world full of words, the greatest wisdom may lie in choosing not to say them.