Brings Forth(Proverbs 27)

This chapter contains many verses that speak about ourselves.

For example,

Do not boast about tomorrow.

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth.

Your own heart.

Your own flock.

More than anything else,

the chapter seems to focus on how we relate to ourselves.

Let's take a look at the Hebrew text of verse 1.

(Al-tithallel be-yom maḥar)

אַל־תִּתְהַלֵּל בְּיוֹם מָחָר

「Do not boast about tomorrow.」

(Ki lo teda mah yeled yom)

כִּי לֹא־תֵדַע מַה־יֵּלֶד יוֹם

「For you do not know what a day will bring forth.」

※Hebrew is read from right to left.

A literal translation would be:

「Do not boast about the day called tomorrow,

for you do not know what a day will bring forth.」

The word "day" appears twice in this verse.

"The day called tomorrow"

בְּיוֹם מָחָר

　(Be-yom maḥar)

• יוֹם　　

• (Yom) — day

• 
  

• מָחָר　　

• (Maḥar) — tomorrow

Then, later in the verse,

only יוֹם (Yom) remains.

And that day becomes the subject of the verb

יֵּלֶד 

(Yeled).

מַה

(Mah)

— What

יֵּלֶד

(Yeled)

• Root: ילד (yalad)

• Qal imperfect

• Third person masculine singular

• Brings forth / Gives birth to

The imperfect expresses an action that is ongoing or directed toward the future.

יוֹם

(Yom)

• Noun

• Masculine singular

• Day

The text does not ask,

What will people produce?

Instead, it asks,

What will a day bring forth?

That is why the verse does not simply end with,

"Do not boast about tomorrow."

It ends by reminding us:

No one knows what a day will bring forth.

What will today bring forth?