Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Proverbs 22:11 - 22:11

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Keil and Delitzsch Commentary - Proverbs 22:11 - 22:11


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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

11 He that loveth heart-purity,

Whose is grace of lips, the king is his friend.

Thus with Hitzig, it is to be translated not: he who loveth with a pure heart - we may interpret טהור־לב syntactically in the sense of puritate cordis or purus corde (Ralbag, Ewald, after Pro 20:7), for that which follows אהב and is its supplement has to stand where possible as the accus. of the object; thus not: qui amat puritatem cordis, gratiosa erunt labia ejus (de Dieu, Geier, Schultens, C. B. Michaelis, Fleischer), for between heart-purity and graciousness of speech there exists a moral relation, but yet no necessary connection of sequence; also not: he who loves purity of heart, and grace on his lips (Aben Ezra, Schelling, Bertheau), for “to love the grace of one's own lips” is an awkward expression, which sounds more like reprehensible self-complacency than a praiseworthy endeavour after gracious speech. Excellently Luther:

“He who has a true heart and amiable speech,

The king is his friend.”

טְהָור־לֵב is not adjectival, but substantival; טְהָר־ is thus not the constr. of the mas. טָהוֹר, as Job 17:10, but of the segolate טֹהַר, or (since the ground-form of גְּבַהּ, 1Sa 16:7, may be גָּבַהּ as well as גֹּבַהּ) of the neut. טָהוֹר, like קְדשׁ, Psa 46:5; Psa 65:5 : that which is pure, the being pure = purity (Schultens). הֵן שְׂפָתָיו (gracefulness of his lips) is the second subject with the force of a relative clause, although not exactly thus thought of, but: one loving heart-purity, gracefulness on his lips - the king is his friend. Ewald otherwise: “he will be the king's friend,” after the scheme Pro 13:4; but here unnecessarily refined. A counsellor and associate who is governed by a pure intention, and connects therewith a gentle and amiable manner of speech and conversation, attaches the king to himself; the king is the רֵעֶה (רֵעַ), the friend of such an one, and he also is “the friend of the king,” 1Ki 4:5. It is a Solomonic proverb, the same in idea as Pro 16:13. The lxx, Syr., and Targ. introduce after אהב the name of God; but 11b does not syntactically admit of this addition. But it is worth while to take notice of an interpretation which is proposed by Jewish interpreters: the friend of such an one is a king, i.e., he can royally rejoice in him and boast of him. The thought is beautiful; but, as the comparison of other proverbs speaking of the king shows, is not intended.