The Meaning of Proverbs 22:11 Explained

Proverbs 22:11

KJV: He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

YLT: Whoso is loving cleanness of heart, Grace are his lips, a king is his friend.

Darby: He that loveth pureness of heart, upon whose lips is grace, the king is his friend.

ASV: He that loveth pureness of heart, For the grace of his lips the king will be his friend.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He that loveth  pureness  of heart,  [for] the grace  of his lips  the king  [shall be] his friend. 

What does Proverbs 22:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 22:1-16 - "he That Loveth Pureness Of Heart"
Great riches are not always a great blessing. When they are held in trust for God, they afford the opportunity of giving a vast amount of happiness to the benefactor as well as to those benefited. But we recall other riches, which do not consist in what a man has, but in what he is. There are four levels of human experience-to have, to do, to know, and to be-and these in their order are like iron, silver, gold, precious stones.
Some of these riches are enumerated here: a good name and loving favor, Proverbs 22:1; the faith that hides in God, Proverbs 22:3; true humility and godly fear, Proverbs 22:4; the child-heart, Proverbs 22:6; the beautiful eye and open hand, Proverbs 22:9; purity of heart and thought, Proverbs 22:11; alacrity and diligence, Proverbs 22:13. If only we would cultivate the inward graces and gifts of our soul-life, all who feel our influence would be proportionately enriched. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 22

1  A good name is more desirable than great wealth

What do the individual words in Proverbs 22:11 mean?

He who loves - purity of heart [And has] grace on his lips his friend the king [will be]
אֹהֵ֥ב [טהור־] (טְהָר־) לֵ֑ב חֵ֥ן שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו רֵעֵ֥הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ

אֹהֵ֥ב  He  who  loves 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
[טהור־]  - 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
(טְהָר־)  purity 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular construct
Root: טָהֹור  
Sense: pure, clean.
לֵ֑ב  of  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: טָהֹור  
Sense: pureness, cleanness, clean, pure.
חֵ֥ן  [And  has]  grace  on 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חֵן  
Sense: favour, grace, charm.
שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו  his  lips 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
רֵעֵ֥הוּ  his  friend 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
מֶֽלֶךְ  the  king  [will  be] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.