PRO 16

Proverbs 16:23

WEB

The heart of the wise instructs his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.

BSB

The heart of the wise man instructs his mouth and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

KJV

The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.

Matthew Henry

Verse 23

Proverbs 16:23

Solomon had commended eloquence, or the sweetness of the lips (Pro 16:21), and seemed to prefer it before wisdom; but here he corrects himself, as it were, and shows that unless there be a good treasure within to support the eloquence it is worth little. Wisdom in the heart is the main matter. 1. It is this that directs us in speaking, that teaches the mouth what to speak, and when, and how, so that what is spoken may be proper, and pertinent, and seasonable; otherwise, though the language be ever so fine, it had better be unsaid. 2. It is this that gives weight to what we speak and adds learning to it, strength of reason and force of argument, without which, let a thing be ever so well worded, it will be rejected, when it comes to be considered, as trifling. Quaint expressions please the ear, and humour the fancy, but it is learning in the lips that must convince the judgment, and sway that, to which wisdom in the heart is necessary.

Cross-references: Prov 16:21

Hebrew interlinear

H3820

לֵבlêb/labe/

n-m — heart, feelings, will, intellect, centre

Derivation: a form of 3824;

the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything

KJV: care for, comfortably, consent, × considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), × heed, × I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), × regard(-ed), × themselves, × unawares, understanding, × well, willingly, wisdom.

לֵב

n.m — inner man

לֵב 599 n.m. (f.) inner man, mind, will, heart

I. seldom of things in the midst of the sea

II. elsewhere of men

1. the inner man in contrast with the outer

2. the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will

3. specific reference to mind

4. spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will

5. spec. ref. to conscience

6. [various]

7. for the man himself

8. as seat of appetites

9. as seat of emotions and passions

10. seat of courage

לֵב קָמָי

Leb Qamay

לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.

H2450

חָכָםchâkâm/khaw-kawm'/

a — wise

Derivation: from 2449;

wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)

KJV: cunning (man), subtil, (un-), wise((hearted), man).

חָכָם

adj — wise

חָכָם adj. wise

1. skilful in technical work

2. wise in the administration of affairs

3. shrewd, crafty, cunning

4. pl. class of learned and shrewd men, incl. astrologers, magicians and the like

5. prudent

6. wise, ethically and religiously

H7919

שָׂכַלsâkal/saw-kal'/

v — be, make, act, circumspect, intelligent

Derivation: a primitive root;

to be (causatively, make or act) circumspect and hence, intelligent

KJV: consider, expert, instruct, prosper, (deal) prudent(-ly), (give) skill(-ful), have good success, teach, (have, make to) understand(-ing), wisdom, (be, behave self, consider, make) wise(-ly), guide wittingly.

שָׂכַל

vb — be prudent

שָׂכַל vb. be prudent

Qal be prudent, circumspect

Hiph.

1. look at

2. give attention to, consider, ponder

3. have insight, comprehension

4. cause to consider, give insight, teach

5. act circumspectly, prudently

6. prosper, have success

7. cause to prosper

שָׂכַל

vb — lay crosswise

[שָׂכַל] vb. Pi. lay crosswise;—Gn 48:14 (J)

H6310

פֶּהpeh/peh/

n-m — mouth, blowing, speech, edge, portion, side, according to

Derivation: from 6284;

the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according to

KJV: accord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), × eat, edge, end, entry, file, hole, × in, mind, mouth, part, portion, × (should) say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, × spoken, talk, tenor, × to, two-edged, wish, word.

פֶּה

n.m — mouth

פֶּה 485 n.m. mouth

1.

a. mouth, of man, organ of eating and drinking

b. external organ

2.

a. much oftener, as organ of speech, of man

b. as laughing; panting

c. of God

d. of idols

e. of musical instr. = sound

3. of animals; hence of edge of sword

4. mouth = opening, orifice

5.

a. extremity, end

b. = portion

6. with preps.

H5921

עַלʻal/al/

prep — above, over, upon, against

Derivation: properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following);

above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications

KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, × as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, × both and, by (reason of), × had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, × with.

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

עַל

subst — above

עַל, עָ֑ל

I. subst. height

II. As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1. Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

a.

(a). of clothing, etc., which any one wears

(b). With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

b. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

c. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

d. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

e. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

f. Of the ground or basis, on which a thing is done

2. It expresses excess

3. It denotes elevation or pre-eminence

4. It expresses addition

5. It expresses the idea of being extended, or suspended over anything, without however being in contact with it, above, over

6. From the sense of inclining or impending over, על comes to denote contiguity or proximity, Engl. by (or sts. on)

7. In connection with verbs of motion (actual or fig.)

8. By writers of the silver age, על is sts. used with the force of a dative

9. With other particles:

III. As conj.

a. עַל אֲשֶׁר because that

b. עַל כִּי similar in meaning, but less frequent

c. עַל alone:

(a). because

(b). notwithstanding that, although

IV. Compounds:

1. with כְּ (rare and late)

a. as concerning, as upon

b. the like of their deeds is the like of (that which) he will repay

2. מֵעַל from upon, from over, from by

H8193

שָׂפָהsâphâh/saw-faw'/

n-f — lip, language, margin

Derivation: or (in dual and plural) שֶׂפֶת; probably from 5595 or 8192 through the idea of termination (compare 5490);

the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)

KJV: band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.

שָׂפָה

n.f — lip

שָׂפָה 176 n.f. lip, speech, edge

1. lip

2. language

3. edge: shore of sea; bank of river

H3254

יָסַףyâçaph/yaw-saf'/

v — add, augment, continue

Derivation: a primitive root;

to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)

KJV: add, × again, × any more, × cease, × come more, conceive again, continue, exceed, × further, × gather together, get more, give more-over, × henceforth, increase (more and more), join, × longer (bring, do, make, much, put), × (the, much, yet) more (and more), proceed (further), prolong, put, be (strong-) er, × yet, yield.

יָסַף

vb — add

יָסַף 214 vb. add

Qal add

Niph.

1. join (intr.), join oneself to

2. be joined, added to

Hiph.

1. add

2.

a. sq. inf. add to do = do again or more

b. sq. Impf.

c. sq. Impf. asynd.

H3948

לֶקַחleqach/leh'-kakh/

n-m — received, instruction, inveiglement

Derivation: from 3947;

properly, something received, i.e. (mentally) instruction (whether on the part of the teacher or hearer); also (in an active and sinister sense) inveiglement

KJV: doctrine, learning, fair speech.

לֶ֫קַח

n.m — learning

לֶ֫קַח n.m. learning, teaching (concrete; prob. what is received)

1. instruction, subjective, as personal acquirement

2. teaching, obj., as thing taught; also = teaching-power, persuasiveness

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