Proverbs 4:21-27

21 Go not they away from thine eyes (Let them not go away from thine eyes); keep thou them in the middle of thine heart.
22 For those be life to men finding those, and health of all flesh. (For they be life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.)
23 With all (safe) keeping keep thine heart (safe), for life cometh forth of it (for life cometh forth from it).
24 Remove thou a shrewd mouth from thee (Do not thou speak depraved things); and backbiting lips be far from thee.
25 Thine eyes see rightful things; and thine eyelids go before thy steps.
26 (Ad)dress thou [the] paths to thy feet (Direct thou the steps of thy feet), and all thy ways shall be stablished.
27 Bow thou not to the right side, neither to the left side; turn away thy foot from evil.

Proverbs 4:21-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 4

In this chapter Solomon advises to seek after wisdom, to avoid bad company, and to continue in the right paths of goodness and truth: he excites attention to what he had to say, from the relation he stood in to the persons addressed; from the nature of his instructions, which were good and profitable; and from his own example, in attending to those his parents gave him, Pr 4:1-4; He exhorts above all things to get wisdom, from the superior excellency of it, and from the preservation, promotion, and honour, to be had by it, Pr 4:5-9; and he further enforces big exhortations, from their being the means of a comfortable life, and of the prolongation of it, and of leading in a right way without straitness or stumbling, Pr 4:10-13. And then proceeds to caution against bad company, and going into a bad way of life; which is enforced from the mischief done by those that walk in it, and from the darkness of it, to which the path of the just is opposed, Pr 4:14-19. And the exhortation to attend to and observe his instructions, and keep them, is repeated, from the consideration of their being life and health to them, Pr 4:20-22; and that they might be preserved, and not departed from, direction's are given about ordering the heart, mouth, lips, eyes, and feet, Pr 4:23-27.

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.