The Meaning of Proverbs 18:4 Explained

Proverbs 18:4

KJV: The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

YLT: Deep waters are the words of a man's mouth, The fountain of wisdom is a flowing brook.

Darby: The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, and the fountain of wisdom is a gushing brook.

ASV: The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is as a flowing brook.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The words  of a man's  mouth  [are as] deep  waters,  [and] the wellspring  of wisdom  [as] a flowing  brook. 

What does Proverbs 18:4 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 18

1  A fool delights not in understanding

What do the individual words in Proverbs 18:4 mean?

Waters [are] deep the words of a mouth of man [is] a brook Flowing the wellspring of wisdom
מַ֣יִם עֲ֭מֻקִּים דִּבְרֵ֣י פִי־ אִ֑ישׁ נַ֥חַל נֹ֝בֵ֗עַ מְק֣וֹר חָכְמָֽה

מַ֣יִם  Waters 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
עֲ֭מֻקִּים  [are]  deep 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: עָמֹק  
Sense: deep, mysterious, depths.
דִּבְרֵ֣י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
פִי־  of  a  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
אִ֑ישׁ  of  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
נַ֥חַל  [is]  a  brook 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
נֹ֝בֵ֗עַ  Flowing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָבַע  
Sense: to flow, pour out, pour, gush forth, spring, bubble up, ferment.
מְק֣וֹר  the  wellspring 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מָקֹור  
Sense: spring, fountain.
חָכְמָֽה  of  wisdom 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָכְמָה  
Sense: wisdom.