Proverbs 17:27–28
Even a fool who keeps quiet is thought wise
Study it word by word27Whoever holds back his sayings knows knowledge, and one cool of spirit is a man of insight.
28Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; whoever shuts his lips, discerning.
In its context
25A senseless son is vexation to his father and bitterness to the one who bore him.
26Also, to fine the righteous is not good, or to strike nobles for their uprightness.
…
Its words in the original
- חוֹשֵׂךְchosech· hold back
Hold back, restrain, keep from; spare.
- אֲמָרָיamaray· words, sayings
Words, sayings. In Genesis 49:21, some read "fawns".
- יוֹדֵעַyodea· know
Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").
- דָּעַתdaat· knowledge
Knowledge: knowing something, and also knowing it by experience.
- יְקַרyekar· precious, costly, rare
Precious, of great value; also "rare," because what is scarce is highly valued.
- רוּחַruach· spirit, wind, breath
The basic idea is "air in motion". The same word can be "wind"; "breath", the air that is breathed and keeps life; or "spirit": the mood or inner strength of a person, or the Spirit of God, his presence and power at work.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- תְּבוּנָהtevuna· understanding
Understanding: the ability to understand and to find the right way.
- אֱוִילevil· fool
A fool: one who will not learn or accept correction. It does not speak of a lack of intelligence but of an attitude toward life and toward God.
- מַחֲרִישׁmacharish· be silent; plow, engrave
Be silent, keep quiet, let something pass. The same Hebrew form also means plow, engrave, and devise or plot.
- חָכָםchacham· wise
Wise; skilled, expert.
- יֵחָשֵׁבyechashev· think, count, devise
Think, consider; count something as something else ("count as", "credit as"). Also devise, design, plan, often evil: "the work of a skilled craftsman" is, literally, "the work of one who designs".
- אֹטֵםotem· close, shut
Close, stop up (the lips, the ears). Of a window, to be closed or narrowed inward; its exact sense in 1 Kings 6:4 is uncertain.
- שְׂפָתָיsefatay· lip, language, edge
Lip. From there, the way of speaking: speech or language. Also the shore or edge of something.
- נָבוֹןnavon· understand, discern
Understand, discern: perceive clearly, distinguish, see what ought to be done.