Proverbs 4:19

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble.

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

דֶּ֣רֶךְ רְ֭שָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָ֑ה לֹ֥א יָ֝דְע֗וּ בַּמֶּ֥ה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃ פ

Transliteration

derek rəšāʿîm kāʾăpēlâ lōʾ yādəʿû bammeh yikkāšēlû

Grammar Details

*derek*: masculine singular construct noun - way of
*rəšāʿîm*: masculine plural noun - wicked ones
*kāʾăpēlâ*: preposition + definite article + feminine singular noun - like the deep darkness
*lōʾ*: negative particle - not
*yādəʿû*: perfect, 3rd person masculine plural, qal - they know
*bammeh*: preposition + interrogative pronoun - on what
*yikkāšēlû*: imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural, niphal - they stumble

Word Meanings

*derek*: way/path/road/journey
*rəšāʿîm*: wicked ones/criminals/evildoers
*ʾăpēlâ*: deep darkness/gloom/thick darkness
*yādəʿû*: know/perceive/recognize
*yikkāšēlû*: stumble/stagger/be brought down

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Isa 59:9-9 : 9 Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity. 10 We grope for the wall like the blind; yea, we grope as they that have no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among them that are lusty we are as dead men.
John 12:35 : 35 Jesus therefore said unto them, Yet a little while is the light among you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not: and he that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Jer 23:12 : 12 Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery places in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith Jehovah.
1 Sam 2:9 : 9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones; But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness; For by strength shall no man prevail.
Job 18:5-6 : 5 Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, And the spark of his fire shall not shine. 6 The light shall be dark in his tent, And his lamp above him shall be put out.
Job 18:18 : 18 He shall be driven from light into darkness, And chased out of the world.
Prov 2:13 : 13 Who forsake the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness;
Job 5:14 : 14 They meet with darkness in the day-time, And grope at noonday as in the night.
Job 12:25 : 25 They grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
Matt 7:23 : 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matt 15:14 : 14 Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.
John 11:10 : 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him.
1 John 2:11 : 11 But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.
Jer 13:16 : 16 Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Prov 4:14-18
5 verses
81%
14Enter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men.
15Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on.
16For they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
17For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.
18But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Job 24:13
80%
13These are of them that rebel against the light; They know not the ways thereof, Nor abide in the paths thereof.
Job 5:14
79%
14They meet with darkness in the day-time, And grope at noonday as in the night.
Prov 2:13
78%
13Who forsake the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness;
Job 12:25
78%
25They grope in the dark without light; And he maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.
Isa 59:8-10
3 verses
77%
8The way of peace they know not; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein doth not know peace.
9Therefore is justice far from us, neither doth righteousness overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity.
10We grope for the wall like the blind; yea, we grope as they that have no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among them that are lusty we are as dead men.
Ps 82:5
77%
5They know not, neither do they understand; They walk to and fro in darkness: All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
Job 24:16-17
2 verses
77%
16In the dark they dig through houses: They shut themselves up in the day-time; They know not the light.
17For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness; For they know the terrors of the thick darkness.
John 11:10
76%
10But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him.
Prov 10:9
75%
9He that walketh uprightly walketh surely; But he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
Prov 11:5
75%
5The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way; But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
Rom 3:16-17
2 verses
75%
16Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17And the way of peace have they not known:
Ps 1:6
75%
6For Jehovah knoweth the way of the righteous; But the way of the wicked shall perish.
Jer 13:16
75%
16Give glory to Jehovah your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
Hos 14:9
74%
9Who is wise, that he may understand these things? prudent, that he may know them? for the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in them; but transgressors shall fall therein.
Prov 5:6
74%
6So that she findeth not the level path of life: Her ways are unstable, [and] she knoweth [it] not.
Prov 15:19
74%
19The way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns; But the path of the upright is made a highway.
Job 38:19
74%
19Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
Job 19:8
74%
8He hath walled up my way that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths.
Prov 1:15-16
2 verses
74%
15My son, walk not thou in the way with them; Refrain thy foot from their path:
16For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood.
Jer 5:4
74%
4Then I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish; for they know not the way of Jehovah, nor the law of their God:
Job 17:12
74%
12They change the night into day: The light, [say they], is near unto the darkness.
Prov 19:2-3
2 verses
74%
2Also, that the soul be without knowledge is not good; And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.
3The foolishness of man subverteth his way; And his heart fretteth against Jehovah.
Prov 2:20
74%
20That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, And keep the paths of the righteous.
Prov 4:26
73%
26Make level the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.
Prov 13:9
73%
9The light of the righteous rejoiceth; But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
Job 10:22
73%
22The land dark as midnight, [The land] of the shadow of death, without any order, And where the light is as midnight.
Job 22:15
73%
15Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden?
Jer 4:22
73%
22For my people are foolish, they know me not; they are sottish children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
Job 34:22
73%
22There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
Prov 28:5
73%
5Evil men understand not justice; But they that seek Jehovah understand all things.
Prov 4:12
73%
12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Job 18:5
73%
5Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, And the spark of his fire shall not shine.
Prov 4:20
72%
20My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Prov 2:15
72%
15Who are crooked in their ways, And wayward in their paths:
Prov 10:29
72%
29The way of Jehovah is a stronghold to the upright; But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
Job 18:7
72%
7The steps of his strength shall be straitened, And his own counsel shall cast him down.
Prov 13:6
72%
6Righteousness guardeth him that is upright in the way; But wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
Isa 29:15
72%
15Woe unto them that hide deep their counsel from Jehovah, and whose works are in the dark, and that say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
Job 6:18
72%
18The caravans [that travel] by the way of them turn aside; They go up into the waste, and perish.