Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
What does Proverbs 4:23 mean?
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 you love your God and your soul, avoid it.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside Proverbs 4:23-27 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Proverbs 4:23
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 special care. The heart is such a fountain, out of it flow the "issues" of life. Shall men let those streams be tainted at the fountain-head?
Key words
- heart
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Keep thy heart with all diligence,.
- diligence
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Keep thy heart with all diligence,.
Context in Proverbs 4
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Proverbs 4 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as fatherly discourses on wisdom. Proverbs offers compact instruction on speech, work, wealth, friendship, sex, discipline, justice, and wisdom as a way of life before God. Read this chapter with the wider themes of wisdom, fear of the Lord, and speech in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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Who quoted Proverbs 4:23?
Find out who used Proverbs 4:23 in their speeches and writings. Which famous people quoted Proverbs 4:23?
Quotes found on Wikiquote (match for «keep thy heart with all diligence»):