Proverbs 28:27
נֹותֵ֣ן לָ֭רָשׁ אֵ֣ין מַחְסֹ֑ור וּמַעְלִ֥ים עֵ֝ינָ֗יו רַב־מְאֵרֹֽות׃
Qal Participle as Subject: נֹותֵ֣ן לָ֭רָשׁ
נֹותֵ֣ן (“one who gives”) is a Qal participle masculine singular from the root נ־ת־ן (“to give”). In Hebrew proverbs, participles often function as nouns — here, “the giver.” The phrase לָרָשׁ (“to the poor”) uses the preposition לְ with the definite article prefixed to רָשׁ (“poor, destitute”), indicating the recipient of the giving. This participial phrase stands as the subject of the verse’s first clause.
Negative Existential Construction: אֵין מַחְסֹ֑ור
אֵין is a particle of nonexistence, functioning here with מַחְסֹ֑ור (“lack, want”) to express the result: “there is no lack.” מַחְסֹ֑ור is a noun from the root ח־ס־ר (“to lack”). The whole clause thus means, “One who gives to the poor will not lack,” or more literally, “There is no lack to the one who gives to the poor.”
Antithetical Clause: וּמַעְלִ֥ים עֵ֝ינָ֗יו
וּמַעְלִ֥ים (“and one who hides”) is a Hiphil participle masculine singular from ע־ל־ם (“to conceal, cover”). It is paired with עֵינָיו (“his eyes”), with עַיִן in the plural construct form with the pronominal suffix ־יו (“his”). The expression מַעְלִים עֵינָיו is idiomatic for one who ignores or avoids — literally “covers his eyes.” It contrasts sharply with the first clause’s generous behavior.
Final Clause: רַב־מְאֵרֹֽות
רַב (“many” or “abundant”) is an adjective functioning as a predicate: “he is full of.” The word מְאֵרֹֽות is a plural noun from the root א־ר־ר (“to curse”), meaning “curses.” The full clause רַב־מְאֵרֹֽות means “he is full of curses” or “many are the curses [upon him].” This final judgment on the one who conceals his eyes provides the moral balance to the reward in the first clause.
Parsing Table: Key Forms in Proverbs 28:27
| Hebrew Word | Root | Form | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| נֹותֵן | נ־ת־ן | Qal participle (ms) | “One who gives” — subject |
| אֵין | ־ | Negation particle | Nonexistence — “there is no” |
| מַחְסֹור | ח־ס־ר | Noun (ms) | “Lack, want” — object of negation |
| מַעְלִים | ע־ל־ם | Hiphil participle (ms) | “One who hides” — contrasted behavior |
| רַב־מְאֵרֹות | א־ר־ר | Noun phrase (adj + plural noun) | “Full of curses” — final moral verdict |
The Grammar of Generosity
Proverbs 28:27 delivers a compact moral teaching through precise grammatical balance. The Qal and Hiphil participles form two parallel types: one who gives and one who hides. Negation and affirmation structures contrast outcomes — no lack vs. many curses. Biblical Hebrew’s participial syntax, intensified by word order and compact nominal constructions, turns ethics into grammar. Generosity is not just a deed — it’s embedded in the structure of wisdom itself.
