The Meaning of Proverbs 14:1 Explained

Proverbs 14:1

KJV: Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

YLT: Every wise woman hath builded her house, And the foolish with her hands breaketh it down.

Darby: The wisdom of women buildeth their house; but folly plucketh it down with her hands.

ASV: Every wise woman buildeth her house; But the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Every wise  woman  buildeth  her house:  but the foolish  plucketh it down  with her hands. 

What does Proverbs 14:1 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This verse makes better sense if for "house" we read "household." Either translation is legitimate.

Chapter Summary: Prov 14

1  A wise woman builds her house

What do the individual words in Proverbs 14:1 mean?

Wise the woman builds her house but the foolishness in her hands pulls it down
חַכְמ֣וֹת נָ֭שִׁים בָּנְתָ֣ה בֵיתָ֑הּ וְ֝אִוֶּ֗לֶת בְּיָדֶ֥יהָ תֶהֶרְסֶֽנּוּ

חַכְמ֣וֹת  Wise 
Parse: Adjective, feminine plural construct
Root: חָכְמֹות  
Sense: wisdom.
נָ֭שִׁים  the  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
בָּנְתָ֣ה  builds 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
בֵיתָ֑הּ  her  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וְ֝אִוֶּ֗לֶת  but  the  foolishness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִוֶּלֶת  
Sense: foolishness, folly.
בְּיָדֶ֥יהָ  in  her  hands 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, fdc, third person feminine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
תֶהֶרְסֶֽנּוּ  pulls  it  down 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: הָרַס  
Sense: to tear down, break down, overthrow, beat down, break, break through, destroy, pluck down, pull down, throw down, ruined, destroyer, utterly.