The Meaning of Proverbs 4:24 Explained

Proverbs 4:24

KJV: Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

YLT: Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,

Darby: Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.

ASV: Put away from thee a wayward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Put away  from thee a froward  mouth,  and perverse  lips  put far  from thee. 

What does Proverbs 4:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 4:10-27 - Guide-Posts On The Way Of Life
One or two sentences stand out in this section, demanding special attention. The path of the just, etc., Proverbs 4:18. We may compare this beautiful similitude with 2 Samuel 23:4. In the East, where the heavens are for the most part free of cloud, the steadily increasing light of any day to perfect noontide glory is the ordinary experience. Let us so live that the path of our life may become ever more radiant and beneficent in its heat and light.
Keep thy heart, etc., Proverbs 4:23. "Above all keeping," margin. The gates of the heart need careful scrutiny. When we are careless, thoughts creep in with malign intent. We should imitate the good Nehemiah 13:19. Ask that pure and holy angels may stand sentry as at the gates of pearl, Revelation 21:12. If you think right, you will live right.
Ponder the path, etc., Proverbs 4:26. "Weigh carefully." Act in haste and repent at leisure! Ask God to keep you back from presumptuous sins; and bear in mind the wise exhortation of Ecclesiastes 5:2. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 4

1  persuades to wisdom
14  and to show wickedness
20  He exhorts to sanctification

What do the individual words in Proverbs 4:24 mean?

Put away from you deceitful a mouth and perverse lips put far from you
הָסֵ֣ר מִ֭מְּךָ עִקְּשׁ֣וּת פֶּ֑ה וּלְז֥וּת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם הַרְחֵ֥ק מִמֶּֽךָּ

הָסֵ֣ר  Put  away 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מִ֭מְּךָ  from  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
עִקְּשׁ֣וּת  deceitful 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: עִקְּשׁוּת  
Sense: distortion, crookedness.
פֶּ֑ה  a  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וּלְז֥וּת  and  perverse 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: לָזוּת  
Sense: deviation, perversity, crookedness.
שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם  lips 
Parse: Noun, fd
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
הַרְחֵ֥ק  put  far 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: רָחַק  
Sense: to be or become far, be or become distant, be removed, go far away.
מִמֶּֽךָּ  from  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.