Proverbs 11:27
שֹׁ֣חֵֽר טֹ֭וב יְבַקֵּ֣שׁ רָצֹ֑ון וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ רָעָ֣ה תְבֹואֶֽנּוּ׃
1. Transliteration
Shōḥēr ṭōv yevaqqēsh rātsōn, vedōrēsh rāʿāh tevōʾennû.
2. Literal Translation
One seeking good seeks favor, but one pursuing evil, it shall come to him.
3. Grammar Focus: Participles Create Two Kinds of People
This proverb begins each half with a participle, a form that often describes someone by what they regularly do:
שֹׁחֵר דֹרֵשׁ
שֹׁחֵר means “one seeking early,” “one earnestly seeking,” or “one diligently seeking.”
דֹרֵשׁ means “one seeking,” “one inquiring after,” or “one pursuing.”
For beginners, the grammar turns actions into identities:
- the person who seeks good,
- the person who pursues evil.
Hebrew wisdom often teaches by placing two life-patterns side by side.
4. The Proverb’s Two-Line Balance
| First Line | Second Line |
|---|---|
|
שֹׁחֵר טוֹב One who seeks good |
וְדֹרֵשׁ רָעָה But one who pursues evil |
|
יְבַקֵּשׁ רָצוֹן Seeks favor |
תְבֹואֶנּוּ It shall come to him |
The structure is compact and sharp. The first person seeks good and seeks favor. The second person pursues evil, and evil comes back upon him.
5. Vocabulary Builder: Seeking, Good, Favor, Evil
| Hebrew Word | Pronunciation | Core Root & Meaning | Ancient Concrete Insight |
|---|---|---|---|
| שֹׁחֵר | shōḥēr | Root שׁ־ח־ר, “seek early, seek diligently” | The image suggests eagerness, like rising early to look for something important. |
| טוֹב | ṭōv | “good, beneficial, pleasing” | That which is sound, desirable, and life-giving. |
| יְבַקֵּשׁ | yevaqqēsh | Root בּ־ק־שׁ, “seek, request, search for” | A focused search for something desired. |
| רָצוֹן | rātsōn | “favor, goodwill, acceptance” | The positive response of goodwill toward someone. |
| דֹרֵשׁ | dōrēsh | Root ד־ר־שׁ, “seek, inquire, pursue” | A deliberate pursuit, as when someone tracks down what they want. |
| רָעָה | rāʿāh | “evil, harm, trouble” | Something damaging that brings ruin rather than life. |
6. Syntax Insight: The Second Line Turns the Pursuit Back on the Pursuer
The first half is straightforward:
שֹׁחֵר טוֹב יְבַקֵּשׁ רָצוֹן
One who seeks good seeks favor.
But the second half has a striking reversal:
וְדֹרֵשׁ רָעָה תְבֹואֶנּוּ
The one who pursues evil does not simply find evil. Hebrew says תְבֹואֶנּוּ, “it shall come to him.”
He pursues evil → evil comes to him
For beginners, this is a powerful wisdom pattern: the thing a person chases can return upon the person.
7. Grammar Pattern: The Suffix in תְבֹואֶנּוּ Means “Him”
The word תְבֹואֶנּוּ means “it shall come to him.”
It is built from:
| Part | Meaning | Beginner Insight |
|---|---|---|
| תְּבֹוא | it shall come | The verb from the root ב־ו־א, “come.” |
| ־ֶנּוּ | him | The ending points back to the person pursuing evil. |
Hebrew often attaches pronoun objects directly to verbs. Here, the attached ending makes the warning personal: evil comes back to him.
8. Beginner Practice Activity: Match the Seeker with the Result
Match each Hebrew phrase with what follows from it.
| Hebrew Phrase | Result |
|---|---|
| שֹׁחֵר טוֹב | Seeks favor or receives harm? |
| דֹרֵשׁ רָעָה | Evil comes to him or he receives honor? |
Click to Reveal the Scribal Answer
Answer:
שֹׁחֵר טוֹב is the one seeking good, and he יְבַקֵּשׁ רָצוֹן, “seeks favor.”
דֹרֵשׁ רָעָה is the one pursuing evil, and תְבֹואֶנּוּ, “it shall come to him.”
The proverb teaches through contrast: what a person seeks shapes what returns to him.
Seeing Wisdom Through Repeated Seeking Verbs
This proverb is simple but sharp. Hebrew places two seekers before the reader: one seeks good, and the other pursues evil.
The first path leads toward רָצוֹן, favor and goodwill. The second path turns back upon the pursuer, because רָעָה, evil, comes to him.
For beginners, the verse shows how Hebrew wisdom poetry teaches with compact grammar. Participles describe life patterns, parallel lines create contrast, and a small suffix in תְבֹואֶנּוּ makes the warning personal.
