כִּ֤י נֹ֨כַח עֵינֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְֽכָל־מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו מְפַלֵּֽס׃
Opening the Gaze
Proverbs 5:21 offers no command, no advice, no metaphor. It simply states a fact — that a man’s paths lie exposed before the eyes of YHWH. Yet even this simple truth is shaped with careful grammatical artistry. The Hebrew opens not with a subject or verb, but with a prepositional phrase: נֹכַח עֵינֵי יְהוָה (“in the presence of the eyes of YHWH”). This fronting heightens the sense of divine immediacy and surveillance. The verse then moves from general to specific, from the plural דְּרָכִים to מַעְגְּלֹות, from visibility to judgment. This is the syntax of exposure: Hebrew grammar staging a moral theater under the watchful gaze of the Divine.
The Hidden Grammar
The verse begins with the conjunction כִּי (“for”), introducing a reason or explanation. What follows is a verbless clause — a nominal sentence — that positions the subject in front of YHWH’s gaze:
נֹכַח עֵינֵי יְ֭הוָה דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ — “Before the eyes of YHWH are the ways of a man”
נֹכַח is a preposition meaning “in front of” or “opposite to.” Its fronted placement deliberately places man’s conduct under scrutiny. Hebrew often frontloads prepositional phrases to signal emphasis or theological urgency. The subject דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ (“a man’s ways”) appears after the preposition, but ahead of the next clause, linking visibility with accountability.
The second clause contains the only finite verb:
וְכָל־מַעְגְּלֹתָיו מְפַלֵּס — “and all his paths He levels/measures”
מְפַלֵּס is a Piel participle, singular masculine — functioning here as a present-tense indicative verb. The root פ-ל-ס means “to weigh, level, regulate.” In context, it suggests active moral evaluation — not just observation, but judgment. The absence of an explicit subject means we supply it from context: YHWH is the one doing the leveling.
Echoes Across the Tanakh
1 Samuel 2:3 — כִּֽי־אֵל דֵּעֹ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה וְלֹא־נִתְכְּנ֖וּ עֲלִלֹֽות — “For the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.” A similar idea: moral calibration by divine perception.
Proverbs 15:3 — בְּכָל־מָקֹ֣ום עֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה צֹפֹ֖ות רָעִ֣ים וְטֹובִֽים — “In every place, the eyes of YHWH observe the evil and the good.” This background echoes the surveillance imagery in 5:21.
Job 34:21 — כִּ֤י עֵינָ֣יו עַל־דַּרְכֵי־אִ֑ישׁ וְכָל־צְעָדָ֖יו יִרְאֶ֣ה — “For His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He sees all his steps.” Nearly identical in structure and theme to our verse.
Syntax in Motion
[b>כִּי נֹכַח עֵינֵי יְהוָה] = “For before the eyes of YHWH…”
↓
[b>דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ] = “…are a man’s ways”
—————————————
[b>וְכָל־מַעְגְּלֹתָיו] = “and all his paths”
↓
[b>מְפַלֵּס] = “He levels/measures them”
The shift from plural דַּרְכֵי (“ways”) to מַעְגְּלֹת (“paths, tracks”) is significant. The former is broad, metaphorical — one’s way of life. The latter is more granular, specific patterns of behavior. The verse moves from visibility to judgment, from public paths to intimate tracks — all under the gaze of YHWH.
When Words Create Worlds
Proverbs 5:21 is a verse of quiet gravity. There is no loud threat, only theological geometry: your life lies directly in front of the eyes of YHWH. The fronted preposition pulls the stage curtain open. The participle מְפַלֵּס levels not terrain, but conduct. Grammar doesn’t just tell us that God sees — it shows us where He stands: directly across, face to face.
This is syntax as surveillance. The absence of modifiers, the precision of phrasing — it constructs a moral architecture: your ways are seen; your paths are measured. Not someday — now. Hebrew doesn’t shout this. It just arranges the sentence until you realize: you’re already being watched.
| Hebrew Feature | Description | Example from Tanakh |
|---|---|---|
| Fronted Prepositional Phrase | Moving prepositional phrase to the front for emphasis or contrast | נֹכַח עֵינֵי יְהוָה (Proverbs 5:21) |
| Verbless Nominal Clause | Implied present-tense identity or existence without a verb | דַּרְכֵי־אִישׁ [are] before YHWH (Proverbs 5:21) |
| Piel Participial Predicate | Ongoing evaluative action in present tense using participle | מְפַלֵּס (Proverbs 5:21) |
Standing in His Line of Sight
Proverbs 5:21 doesn’t need imperative verbs or judgment warnings. Its power lies in stillness — in a man’s path laid bare, his steps silently weighed. Hebrew arranges this moment with chilling clarity: no one is hidden. The language does not argue — it simply shows that you are already seen.
