Proverbs 13:12

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

תּוֹחֶ֣לֶת מְ֭מֻשָּׁכָה מַחֲלָה־לֵ֑ב וְעֵ֥ץ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תַּאֲוָ֥ה בָאָֽה׃

Transliteration

tôḥelet məmuššākâ maḥălâ-lēb wə-ʿēṣ ḥayyîm taʾăwâ bāʾâ

Grammar Details

• *tôḥelet*: noun, feminine singular - hope/expectation
• *məmuššākâ*: verb, pual participle, feminine singular - prolonged/deferred
• *maḥălâ*: noun, feminine singular - sickness/disease
• *lēb*: noun, masculine singular - heart
• *wə-*: conjunction - and
• *ʿēṣ*: noun, masculine singular construct - tree of
• *ḥayyîm*: noun, masculine plural - life
• *taʾăwâ*: noun, feminine singular - desire/longing
• *bāʾâ*: verb, qal participle, feminine singular - coming/fulfilled

Word Meanings

• *tôḥelet*: hope/expectation/what is waited for
• *məmuššākâ*: prolonged/deferred/drawn out
• *maḥălâ-lēb*: heart sickness/anguish of heart
• *ʿēṣ ḥayyîm*: tree of life
• *taʾăwâ*: desire/longing/what is desired
• *bāʾâ*: coming/fulfilled/realized

Referenced Verses

• Prov 13:19 : 19 The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul; But it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.
• John 16:22 : 22 And ye therefore {G3303} now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you.
• Gen 21:6-7 : 6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh; every one that heareth will laugh with me. 7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? for I have borne him a son in his old age.
• Gen 46:30 : 30 And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, that thou art yet alive.
• 1 Sam 1:26-28 : 26 And she said, Oh, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto Jehovah. 27 For this child I prayed; and Jehovah hath given me my petition which I asked of him: 28 therefore also I have granted him to Jehovah; as long as he liveth he is granted to Jehovah. And he worshipped Jehovah there.
• Ps 17:15 : 15 As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with [beholding] thy form.
• Ps 40:2-3 : 2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay; And he set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, And shall trust in Jehovah.
• Ps 69:3 : 3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is dried: Mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.
• Ps 119:81-83 : 81 KAPH. My soul fainteth for thy salvation; [But] I hope in thy word. 82 Mine eyes fail for thy word, While I say, When wilt thou comfort me? 83 For I am become like a wine-skin in the smoke; Yet do I not forget thy statutes.
• Ps 143:7 : 7 Make haste to answer me, O Jehovah; My spirit faileth: Hide not thy face from me, Lest I become like them that go down into the pit.
• Prov 3:18 : 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: And happy is every one that retaineth her.
• Prov 11:30 : 30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that is wise winneth souls.
• Ps 42:1-3 : 1 For the Chief Musician. Maschil of the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
• Rev 22:2 : 2 in the midst of the street thereof. And on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve [manner of] fruits, yielding its fruit {G1520} {G1538} every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
• Song 5:8 : 8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If ye find my beloved, That ye tell him, that I am sick from love.
• Luke 2:29-30 : 29 Now lettest thou thy servant depart, Lord, According to thy word, in peace; 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,