Mishle 27:11

11 Beni (my son), be chacham, and make my lev glad, that I may answer my accusers.

Mishle 27:11 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 27:11

My son, be wise, and make my heart glad
That is, show thyself to be a wise man by thy words and actions; endeavour to get a good share of wisdom and knowledge, and make a good use of it, and that will rejoice my heart; as nothing more gladdens the heart of a parent than the wisdom and prudent behaviour of his son; see ( Proverbs 10:1 ) ( Proverbs 23:15 Proverbs 23:24 Proverbs 23:25 ) ;

that I may answer him that reproacheth me;
with begetting a foolish son, or a wicked man; or making him such by ill examples; or through neglect of education; or by using too much severity in it.

Mishle 27:11 In-Context

9 Shemen and ketoret rejoice the lev; so doth the sweet discourse of a re’a (friend) from an atzat nefesh (a counselling of the soul).

10 Thine own re’a (friend), and the re’a avicha, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s bais in the yom of thy calamity; for better is a shakhen (neighbor) that is near than a brother far off.

11 Beni (my son), be chacham, and make my lev glad, that I may answer my accusers.

12 A prudent man foreseeth ra’ah, and hideth himself; but the naïve ones trudge on, and are punished.

13 Take his beged (garment) that is collateral for a zar; seize the pledge given for surety for a nokhriyah (strange woman, foreign woman, seductress).