Proverbs 20:9
WEB
Who can say, “I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin”?
BSB
Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”?
KJV
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H4310
i — who?, whoever
Derivation: an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix
KJV: any (man), × he, × him, O that! what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), would to God.
pron.interrog — who?
מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons
a. מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
b. in the gen. whose
c. in an indirect qu.
d. מִי ב׳ who among … ?
e. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
f. various rhetorical uses whose
g. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
h. once, following a verb, any one
H559
v — say
Derivation: a primitive root;
to say (used with great latitude)
KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, × desire, determine, × expressly, × indeed, × intend, name, × plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), × still, × suppose, talk, tell, term, × that is, × think, use (speech), utter, × verily, × yet.
vb — utter
אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say
Qal
1. Say
2. Say in the heart (= think)
3. Promise
4. Command (esp. late)
Niph. be said, told
Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)
Hithp. act proudly, boast
H2135
v — be translucent, be innocent
Derivation: a primitive root (compare 2141);
to be translucent; figuratively, to be innocent
KJV: be (make) clean, cleanse, be clear, count pure.
vb — be clear
[זָכָה] vb. be clear, clean, pure, alw. in a moral sense
Qal
1. be clean, pure
2. be clear, be justified = be regarded as just, righteous, of God
Pi. make or keep clean, pure
Hithp. make yourselves clean
H3820
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.
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
H2891
v — be pure
Derivation: a primitive root; properly, to be bright; i.e. (by implication)
to be pure (physical sound, clear, unadulterated; Levitically, uncontaminated; morally, innocent or holy)
KJV: be (make, make self, pronounce) clean, cleanse (self), purge, purify(-ier, self).
vb — be clean
טָהֵר vb. be clean, pure
Qal
1. be clean, i.e. (miraculously) freed from leprosy by washing in the Jordan
2. be clean ceremonially
3. be clean morally
Pi.
1. cleanse, purify
2. pronounce clean, ceremonially
3. perform the ceremony of cleansing
Pu. a land not cleansed
Hithp.
1. purify oneself
2. present oneself for purification
H2403
n-f — offence, penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, offender
Derivation: or חַטָּאת; from 2398;
an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concretely) an offender
KJV: punishment (of sin), purifying(-fication for sin), sin(-ner, offering).
n.f — sin
חַטָּאת n.f. sin, sin-offering
1. sin
2. condition of sin, guilt of sin
3. punishment for sin
4. sin-offering
5. purification from sins of ceremonial uncleanness
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Verse 9
Proverbs 20:9
This question is not only a challenge to any man in the world to prove himself sinless, whatever he pretends, but a lamentation of the corruption of mankind, even that which remains in the best. Alas! Who can say, "I am sinless?" Observe, 1. Who the persons are that are excluded from these pretensions - all, one as well as another. Here, in this imperfect state, no person whatsoever can pretend to be without sin. Adam could say so in innocency, and saints can say so in heaven, but none in this life. Those that think themselves as good as they should be cannot, nay, and those that are really good will not, dare not, say this. 2. What the pretension is that is excluded. We cannot say, We have made our hearts clean. Though we can say, through grace, "We are cleaner than we have been," yet we cannot say, "We are clean and pure from all remainders of sin." Or, though we are clean from the gross acts of sin, yet we cannot say, "Our hearts are clean." Or, though we are washed and cleansed, yet we cannot say, "We ourselves made our own hearts clean;" it was the work of the Spirit. Or, though we are pure from the sins of many others, yet we cannot say, "We are pure from our sin, the sin that easily besets us, the body of death which Paul complained of," Rom 7:24.
Cross-references: Rom 7:24