לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃
(Proverbs 7:5)
To guard you from the foreign woman from the stranger whose words are smooth
Syntax in the Service of Wisdom
Wisdom literature in the Tanakh often couches moral exhortation within tightly wound grammatical structures. Proverbs 7:5 is one such verse. It opens with a purpose infinitive—לִשְׁמָרְךָ—that drives the verse’s intent: moral protection. The verse then develops through prepositional phrases and a verb with poetic inversion. At the center of its grammar lies the infinitive construct with pronominal suffix, a common yet semantically rich structure that both reveals and personalizes divine instruction.
This article explores how the infinitive construct לִשְׁמָרְךָ shapes the verse’s purpose, and how the rest of the syntax unfolds a theology of caution through precise grammatical layering.
Clause Breakdown: Grammatical Parts in Motion
- לִשְׁמָרְךָ – Infinitive construct of שׁמר with 2ms suffix: “to guard you”
Function: Purpose clause expressing the reason for earlier instructions (see v.1–4).
Notes: Prefixed לְ (“to”) + root verb + pronominal suffix creates an embedded aim. - מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה – “from a strange woman”
מִן + אִשָּׁה with dagesh forte in שׁ indicating compensatory doubling (due to loss of nun from מִן).
זָרָה is an adjective meaning “foreign,” modifying אִשָּׁה. - מִנָּכְרִיָּה – “from a foreign woman” (synonymous with אִשָּׁה זָרָה)
Root: נכר; noun used substantivally, feminine singular with מִן prefix and doubling in the nun due to assimilation rules. - אֲמָרֶיהָ – “her sayings” or “her words”
Root: אמר; feminine plural noun with 3fs suffix. - הֶחֱלִיקָה – Hiphil perfect 3fs of חל”ק (“to be smooth, slippery”)
Notes: The subject is אֲמָרֶיהָ: her words have made [things] smooth—suggesting seduction or manipulation.
Table: Grammatical Features and Lexical Functions
| Form | Type | Root | Translation | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לִשְׁמָרְךָ | Infinitive construct + 2ms suffix | שׁמר | to guard you | Purpose clause |
| מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה | Prep. phrase + noun + adj. | אשׁ, זר | from a strange woman | Object of protection |
| מִנָּכְרִיָּה | Prep. phrase + subst. noun | נכר | from a foreign woman | Parallel object |
| אֲמָרֶיהָ | Noun + 3fs suffix | אמר | her sayings | Subject of final verb |
| הֶחֱלִיקָה | Hiphil perfect 3fs | חל”ק | she has smoothed/slipperied | Main verb of clause |
Syntax and Parallelism
This verse exhibits classic Hebrew synthetic parallelism:
– מֵאִשָּׁה זָרָה // מִנָּכְרִיָּה
– Both describe the same category of morally or spiritually foreign women
– These parallel phrases intensify the danger and poetic rhythm
The main clause אֲמָרֶיהָ הֶחֱלִיקָה (“her sayings are smooth”) functions as the justification for the earlier purpose clause. The woman’s speech is not just dangerous—it is linguistically seductive. The grammar reflects the lure.
Discourse and Moral Force
The infinitive construct לִשְׁמָרְךָ points back to the previous context (Proverbs 7:1–4), where wisdom and commandments are to be “bound on your fingers” and “written on your heart.” The purpose? To guard you—not from violence, but from language.
The danger here is verbal: the woman’s words (not her appearance) are smooth. Hebrew employs הֶחֱלִיקָה, from the root for slipperiness, to suggest deception. The structure is both poetic and pedagogical: it warns of charm and rhetorical falsehood.
When Grammar Wields a Sword
In Proverbs 7:5, the infinitive construct לִשְׁמָרְךָ opens a verse about protection—grammatical and moral. Hebrew’s syntax enables both theological reflection and pedagogical action. Here, grammar guards. The infinitive wraps itself around the reader like the parental wisdom it represents, defending against seduction by linguistic smoothness. It is a verse where structure and message are inseparable—where moral clarity comes embedded in grammatical precision.
