Pro 31:18 | NET2full | STEP | She perceived tn As the perfect form of a dynamic verb, טָעֲמָה ( taʿamah ) should be understood as past tense or perfective. The basic meaning of the word is to “taste.” By extension it means to “perceive; discern; evaluate” (cf. ; ). It either refers to evaluating the quality of her merchandise (that she sells) or to being sure that she is making a good and profitable trade. that her merchandise was good . Her lamp would not go out in the night .

‏ Proverbs 31:18

18 She perceived ^{▼▼tn The first word of the ninth line begins with ט (tet), the ninth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.}

tn As the perfect form of a dynamic verb, טָעֲמָה (taʿamah) should be understood as past tense or perfective. The basic meaning of the word is to “taste.” By extension it means to “perceive; discern; evaluate” (cf. Job 12:11; 34:3). It either refers to evaluating the quality of her merchandise (that she sells) or to being sure that she is making a good and profitable trade. that her merchandise was good.
Her lamp ^{▼▼sn The line may be taken literally to mean that she is industrious throughout the night (“burning the midnight oil”) when she must in order to follow through a business deal (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 668); cf. TEV. But the line could also be taken figuratively, comparing “her light” to the prosperity of her household—her whole life—which continues night and day.} would ^{▼▼tn The imperfect verb יִכְבֶּה (yikbeh) is used in its past habitual sense. The verbs describing the woman from verses 12-29 include 19 perfects and 9 preterites which describe actions with past time references. Thus the four imperfect verbs that describe her (vv. 14, 18, 21, 27) should be understood as modal and operating in a past time frame. Technically this verb does not describe her directly, though it refers to her lamp.} not go out in the night.