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Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Proverbs 4:23

Keep... with all diligence. Above all that must be guarded. The preposition. (hebrew character) marks the place or person that keeps: the meaning being, guard the heart as the great citadel, for out of it are the source and outgoings of life. Same word as in verses: Proverbs 6:13. Not the same word as in verses: Proverbs 4:21.

froward. See notes on Proverbs 2:12 and Proverbs 6:12, the only other examples of frowardness of mouth.

(23-27) Note the Alternation in these verses. Positive. Heart. Negative. Mouth. Positive. Eyes. 27. Negative. Feet.

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See also Proverbs 4:23 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Proverbs 4:23. _KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE_] "Above all keeping," guard thy heart. He who knows any thing of himself, knows how apt his affections are to go astray. _FOR OUT OF IT_ ARE...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    Better, as in the margin, i. e., with more vigilance than men use over anything else. The words that follow carry on the same similitude. The fountains and wells of the East were watched over with spe...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4 _ 1. Solomon's training (Proverbs 4:1)_ 2. Hear, O my son: Receive my sayings (Proverbs 4:10) 3. My son, attend to my words. (Proverbs 4:20)...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _with all diligence_ Lit. _above all keepings_, that is bestowed on aught beside. πάσῃ φυλακῇ, LXX. _Omni custodia_, Vulg. Others, with R.V. marg., _above all that thou guardest_; "præ omnibus rebus c...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 764 KEEPING THE HEART Proverbs 4:23. _Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life_. IT is certainly of infinite importance that we be deeply convinced of our ut...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE— _Above all keeping keep thy heart._ Schultens. The life and death of the soul proceed from the heart: an upright, clear, enlightened, watchful heart gives life; a he...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    TEXT Proverbs 4:20-27 20. My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21. Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart. 22. For they are life unt...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL [ mikaal (H3605 )] DILIGENCE. The Hebrew for "with" is so translated, as in the English version, by...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    Watch over the inner life of thought and feeling; on it prosperity depends (1 Samuel 16:7; Matthew 15:19)....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    ANCESTRAL WISDOM. THE TWO PATHS In Proverbs 4:1 the teacher lays stress on the fact that his instruction is a repetition of his father's. No teaching was thought valuable save that which was handed do...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Wise words are like medicine. They benefit every part of our bodies....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    LESSONS ABOUT WISDOM PROVERBS _KEITH SIMONS_ CHAPTER 4 V1 My sons, listen to your father’s instruction. As you listen to me, you will understand more....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    We should be careful about our thoughts. We should love good things and hate evil things....

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE. — Rather, _above all things that are to be guarded._ FOR OUT OF IT ARE THE ISSUES OF LIFE. — That is, from it comes life (and also death). From it proceed “all holy...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    מִֽ כָּל ־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי ־מ֝

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 5 EDUCATION: THE CHILD'S THOUGHT OF THE PARENT "Wisdom doth live with children round her knees." - Wordsworth. "He taught me, and said unto me," etc. Proverbs 4:4 THIS chapter begins with a...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    GUIDE-POSTS ON THE WAY OF LIFE Proverbs 4:10-27 One or two sentences stand out in this section, demanding special attention. _The path of the just, etc_., Proverbs 4:18. We may compare this beautiful...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In this chapter there are three addresses. The first is of the nature of personal testimony (verses Pro 4:1-9). The next two are exhortations to fidelity (verses Pro 4:10-27). The father urges his own...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of (k) life. (k) For as the heart is either pure or corrupt, so is the whole course of man's life....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _From it. As the heart is the principal part of the body, so the will is the chief power of the soul, from which good or evil proceeds. (Worthington) --- A clean heart gives life, a corrupt one, death...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to al...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 THROUGH 9. There are two very distinct parts in this book. The first nine Chapter s, which give the great general principles; and the proverbs, properly so...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE,.... The mind from vanity, the understanding from error, the will from perverseness, the conscience clear of guilt, the affections from being inordinate and set on ev...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life. Ver. 23. _Keep thy heart._] Filth free, as much as may be; keep a constant counterguard against all inroads made by flesh, w...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    Pro. 4:23. "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." It is probable here is an allusion to the blood's issuing from the heart. The heart is the fountain of the blood,...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Keep thy heart with all diligence_ The Hebrew is, _Above all keeping, keep thy heart_, that is, thy mind and thoughts, thy will and affections, which are the more immediate cause of men's actions. _O...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    WARNING AGAINST WICKEDNESS...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Keep thy heart with all diligence, literally, "more than every object of watching guard thy heart," the seat of moral life; for out of it are the issues of life, as Jesus also points out, Matthew 12:3...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    WITH ALL DILIGENCE: _ Heb._ above all keeping...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    14-27 The way of evil men may seem pleasant, and the nearest way to compass some end; but it is an evil way, and will end ill; if thou love thy God and thy soul, avoid it. It is not said, Keep at a d...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THY HEART; thy mind and thoughts, and especially the will and affections, which are the more immediate and effectual cause of all men's actions. OUT OF IT ARE THE ISSUES OF LIFE; from thence proceed a...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Proverbs 4:23 Keep H5341 (H8798) heart H3820 diligence H4929 issues H8444 life H2416 Keep -...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    A GENERAL APPEAL TO HEAR HIS WORDS AND SAYINGS, AND INSTRUCTIONS WITH REGARD TO HIS HEART, MOUTH, EYES AND FEET (PROVERBS 4:20). Solomon urges those who hear him and read his words to take them to hea...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Proverbs 4:23 I. The meaning which a reader of the English only would affix to these words, amounts to this that on the state of the heart depends the character of the man. The issues of life, the var...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Earnest exhortation to the study of true wisdom. CHARACTERS: God, Solomon, his son. CONCLUSION: True wisdom from God is the principle thing. It is that which recommends us to God, which be...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Proverbs 4:1. _Hear, ye children,_ a Hebraism, equivalent to wash, cleanse, and purify your ears. A grateful son here recites the domestic piety of an illustrious father. David talked much with his ch...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Keep thy heart with all diligence._ HEART-KEEPING The great defect in our system of education is that it turns a man away from himself. Many a schoolboy can describe the continents and islands of th...

  • The children's great texts of the Bible by James Hastings

    THE GUARDED HEART Keep thy heart with all diligence. Proverbs 4:23; Once upon a time there lived in Ceylon a king called Thossakin, and he had a wonderful gift at least so the story says. He could t...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PROVERBS—NOTE ON PROVERBS 4:20 The commands in vv. Proverbs 4:20 all encourage making wisdom a vital part of one’s life. HEART in...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— PROVERBS 4:22. HEALTH, or “healing.” PROVERBS 4:23. “Above all other watching, keep thy heart,” some read: “Keep thy heart with all (kinds of) keeping.” _Issues_—“currents,” “outgoi...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION PROVERBS 4:1 7. _Seventh admonitory discourse. _We here enter upon the second group of admonitory discourses, as is indicated by the opening address, "my children," and which occurs again...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Continuing to his son. Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you might know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, don't forsake my law. For I was my father's son, ten...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Deuteronomy 4:9; Ecclesiastes 5:13; Hebrews 12:15; James 1:14; Jame

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

    SACRED EXHORTATIONS Proverbs 4:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS It is well, now and then, to step aside and consider what God has to say to young men and women; as well as to consider what He says to their fath...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Heart — Thy thoughts, will, and affections. For — From thence proceed all the actions, as of the natural, so of the spiritual life, which lead to eternal life....

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