Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Gerry Folbre <gfolbreiii AT gmail.com>]

Karl:
The verb conjugations are not a necessary components of rendering a Hebrew
Text; the context of the Kethib Text quite often implies Masoretic points
that indicate a particular verb conjugation.
The Kethib version of Pr. 5:6 reads as follows:

ארח חיים ען תפלס  נעו מעגלתיה לא תדע׃

Rendered without the Piel conjugation the text could read:

Pr. 5:6 A path of life that you do not maintain; they are unstable, her
courses of action that you cannot know.

Without the Piel conjugation the text reads quite well.  I can grasp what
the father is saying to the son {I paraphrase: "A path of life that you do
not maintain [leaves you open] to following her unstable courses of act [in
ways] you cannot comprehend."

That is my best guess.  The Pr. 5:6 is not corrupted and does not appear to
be corrupt.  The above rendering of Pr. 5:6 appears to contextually fit with
the previous verse Pr. 5:5

רגליה ירדות מות  שׁאול צעדיה יתמכו׃

Pr. 5:5 Her feet they go down to death; the grave her steps lay hold of.
Pr. 5:6 A path of life you must maintained; unstable are her courses of
action [in ways] you do not know.

I look forward to your input,
Gerry Folbre