Proverbs 14:27

Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)

English Translation

The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, Turning people from the snares of death.

World English Bible · Public Domain

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מְק֣וֹר

mâqôwr

H4726

“spring of”

Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Construct

Appears 18× in the Hebrew Bible
First appears at Leviticus 12:7

Full BDB Definition

Origin: from H6979

TWOT: 2004a

spring, fountain - spring - of source of life, joy, purification (figuratively) - of the eye (figuratively) - source (of menstruous blood) - flow (of blood after child birth)

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

7: words
7: distinct lemmas
Wisdom: section

Notable vocabulary

The rarest word here is מְק֣וֹר spring H4726 — appearing just 18 times in the whole Hebrew Bible.

Shared distinctive vocabulary

מְק֣וֹר spring H4726 occurs in 17 verses of the Hebrew Bible. Also found in:

Grammatical profile

1 verb
6 nouns

Verb forms

לָ֝ס֗וּר Qal · Infinitive Construct

Hebrew & Septuagint length

In English translation the verse runs 16 words from the Hebrew and 22 from the Septuagint (LXX English) — closely comparable.

A rough comparison of the two English renderings, which tokenize alike — not a word-level alignment.

Word counts can differ between the Hebrew and the Greek without any difference in meaning — e.g. the Hebrew direct-object marker אֵת has no separate Greek word, and Greek often adds the article ὁ.

In the original languages it is 7 Hebrew tokens and 10 Greek tokens — but the two are counted differently (Hebrew bundles its prefixes and suffixes into one token; the Greek is in lemma form), so that isn’t a like-for-like length.

Cross-references

Topical passages linked to Proverbs 14:27 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

Proverbs 13:14 The teaching of the wise is a spring of life, To turn from the snares of death.
Revelation 21:6 He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life.
Proverbs 2:10–18 For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Psalms 18:5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came on me.
Proverbs 22:5 Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked: Whoever guards his soul stays from them.
Isaiah 33:6 There shall be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge: the fear of Yahweh is your treasure.
Ecclesiastes 7:26 I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Hebrew and Greek witnesses Masoretic Hebrew ↔ Greek Septuagint

The same verse in the two great witnesses to the Old Testament, shown verse-for-verse.

These are two independent witnesses, not word-aligned to each other, and the Septuagint is shown in lemma (dictionary) form.

Hebrew Proverbs 14:27 Masoretic · Westminster Leningrad Codex

יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה מְק֣וֹר חַיִּ֑ים לָ֝ס֗וּר מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי מָֽוֶת

The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, Turning people from the snares of death.

World English Bible · Public Domain

Greek LXX Proverbs 14:27 Septuagint · lemma form

πρόσταγμα κύριος πηγή ζωή ποιέω δέ ἐκκλίνω ἐκ παγίς θάνατος

The commandment of the Lord is a fountain of life; and it causes men to turn aside from the snare of death.

LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) · Public Domain

On this verse, The Pulpit Commentary discusses the Septuagint’s reading. Read the note in Commentary ↓

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (CC BY 4.0). Greek: Septuagint (public domain); English from LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) (Public Domain). How the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew →

Commentary

Notes on Proverbs 14:27 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Commentary source

Trapp's Complete Commentary

John Trapp

Pro 14:27 The fear of the LORD [is] a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Ver. 27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.] So said to be, both for the constant faithfulness, as never failing, and for the gracious effects - viz., blessings of all sorts. (1). Temporal; {Pro 22:4} riches, honour, life. (2). Spiritual; {Mal 4:2} such shall "grow up as the calves of the stall," fat and fair-liking. (3). Eternal; {Psa 31:19} "O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee"; "eye hath not seen," &c. {1Co 2:9} It shall be always "well with them." {Ecc 8:12} And though many afflictions, &c., yet he that feareth God "shall come out of them all." {Ecc 7:18}

To depart from the snares of death.] Satan, that mighty hunter, hath laid snares for us in all places. And the way of this world is like the vale of Siddim, slimy and slippery; full of slime pits and pitfails, snares and stumblingblocks, laid on purpose to maim us or mischief us. He that fears God comes off without hurt by remembering that saying - which, as short as it is, yet our memories are shorter - Cave, Deus videt; - Take heed; God seeth thee. A godly man had these verses written before him on a table in his study:

“Ne pecces, Deus ipse videt, tuus Angelus astat:

Accusat Satanas et lex, mens conscia culpae:

Mors incerta furit: cruciat te luridus Orcus:

Et manet aeternum tristi damnatio poena.”

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Biblical Illustrator

Joseph S. Exell

Pro_14:27

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.

The fountain of life

I. Something that needs replenishing. Life is a fire--it must be kept alight; a lamp--it needs oil; energy--it demands a nervous sustentation. So with spiritual life--it cannot continue without food.

II. Something to replenish mans life. The fear of the Lord. Here is rich provender called a fountain--continuous, inexhaustible, pure--the source, not the stream. How is it a fountain of life?

1. Because it enables us to assimilate Divine food.

2. Because it is the key which unlocks the tap. (Homilist.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown

(Compare Pro 13:14).

fear of the Lord--or, "law of the wise," is wisdom (Psa 111:10).

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life] מקור חיים mekor chaiyim, the vein of lives. Another allusion to the great aorta which carries the blood from the heart to all the extremities of the body. Of this phrase, and the tree of lives, Solomon is particularly fond. See on Pr 4:23; Pr 10:12.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(27) Fountain of life.—Comp. Pro_13:14 and Joh_4:14.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

27. Comp. Pro_13:14.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Gill's Exposition

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,.... Where the true fear of God is, there is a real principle of grace, which is "a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life", Joh 4:14; eternal life is connected with it; it makes meet for it, and issues in it: or the Lord, who is the object of fear, he is the fountain of life: as of natural, so of spiritual and eternal life; spiritual life springs from him, is supported and maintained by him, the consequence of which is life everlasting;

to depart from the snares of death; sins, transgressions, as Aben Ezra interprets it; these are the works of men's hands, in which they are snared; these are the cords in which they are holden, and so die without instruction; the wages of them are death, even death eternal: likewise there are the snares of the world and of the devil, temptations to sin, with which being ensnared, lead to death; now the fear of the Lord is a means of delivering from and of avoiding those snares, and so of escaping death.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the marginal reference and Pro 10:11 note.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations

To preserve men from deadly and destructive courses.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

Daniel D. Whedon

27. To depart… from death — That is, to cause to depart. It is the source of life and the cause of escape from death. Comp. Pro_10:11; Pro_13:14; Rev_21:6.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Pulpit Commentary

A repetition of Pro_13:14, substituting the fear of the Lord for "the law of the wise." The fear of the Lord can he called a fountain of life, because, showing itself in obedience, it nourishes the flowers and fruits of faith, produces graces and virtues, and prepares the soul for immortality. Septuagint, "The commandment of the Lord is a fountain of life, and makes one decline from the snare of death."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

To depart - To preserve men from destructive courses.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Keil & Delitzsch

C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch

27 The fear of Jahve is a fountain of life,

To escape the snares of death.

There springs up a life which makes him who carries in himself (cf. Joh 4:14, ἐν αὐτῷ) this welling life, penetrating and strong of will to escape the snares (write after the Masora ממּקשׁי defective) which death lays, and which bring to an end in death - a repetition of Pro 13:4 with changed subject.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

Bridges on Proverbs

Charles Bridges

How glowing is this Divine principle! refreshing like the springs of Canaan;†1 full of life;†2 temporal,†3 spiritual,†4 eternal.†5 It is the influence of the heavenly Comforter, as a fountain "springing up into everlasting life." (Joh 4:14 .) Its preserving tendency is invaluable. It is always connected with the fear of sin (Pro 3:7 ; Pro 16:6 ), as grieving our most beloved friend, and separating from our only happiness; while it keeps us from the snares of death (Ecc 7:26 ), "the end and wages of sin." (Rom 6:23 .) How complete then is its application! Not only is it a refuge from danger, but a fountain of life. Not only does Christian confidence open a cover from the guilt, but its holy influence roots out the power, of sin. For among the countless throng of the redeemed not one finds a cover from condemnation, who is not renovated unto spiritual life. Thus does this invaluable grace flow with the full streams of gospel blessing. How much of that worldliness that soils our profession, and of the restraint that contracts our spiritual joy, may be traced to the sparing or defective application of this Christian principle!

Footnotes:

†1 Deu 8:7. Jos 15:19 .

†2 Pro 22:4.

†3 Pro 10:27.

†4 Pro 19:23. Mal 4:2 .

†5 Psa 103:17.

Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Scofield Reference Notes

C. I. Scofield

fear

(See Scofield "Psa 19:9").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Paul E. Kretzmann

v. 27. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, the source of all true spiritual life, to depart from the snares of death; for where there is no fear of God, there is transgression, and transgression leads to everlasting death.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

Proverbs, in the Wisdom, opens this verse with 7 words (7 distinct Hebrew lemmas). Its most distinctive word is mâqôwr (“spring”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

How does “spring” (mâqôwr) shape what this verse is saying?
How does Leviticus 12:7, which shares the word «spring», read alongside this verse?
These translations render this verse differently; the difference is in the English rendering, not the original. What questions does that raise?
«לָ֝ס֗וּר» is a Qal Infinitive Construct verb. How does that grammatical form shape the action described?
Compare how Trapp's Complete Commentary and The Biblical Illustrator read this verse. Where do they agree or differ?

Things to notice

This verse counts 7 Hebrew ↔ 10 Greek words.
These translations choose different wording for 7 words in this verse.
7 distinct Hebrew lemmas span 7 words in this verse.