What Does Proverbs 16:23 Mean?
The heart of the wise gives insight to his mouth, and upon his lips adds to what is taken in.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.THE KEY
Even the wise person’s mouth is a student: understanding within keeps teaching speech and adding instruction to the lips.
THE MEANING
Your inner understanding trains the words you speak and keeps adding substance to what your lips carry. Wisdom in you is not finished; it continues to shape speech into instruction.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse undoes the belief that wisdom is complete before speech begins: the lips themselves keep gaining instruction.
THE ROOT
יַשְׂכִּיל
yaskil
GROWS FROM
שׂכל
ś-k-l
To understand, be prudent, or act with insight; in this verb form, to give insight or make wise.
“gives insight to” in this verse is yaskil. The verb reaches beyond speaking wisdom: the wise heart makes its mouth discerning. The mouth appears as a learner formed by the heart, so speech bears the trace of what has been understood.
ALSO GROWS
śēḵel: Understanding; insight.
שֵׂכֶל
This noun names the discernment the heart brings to the mouth.
maśkîl: One who understands or acts wisely.
מַשְׂכִּיל
The same root describes a person shaped by insight, linking wise speech to an inner way of seeing.
לֶקַח
leqaḥ
GROWS FROM
לקח
l-q-ḥ
To take, receive, or grasp.
“what is taken in” in this verse is leqaḥ. The word for instruction is linked to the root meaning to take or receive. What reaches the lips is pictured as something taken in and held, so learning can keep accumulating in speech.
ALSO GROWS
lāqaḥ: To take; to receive.
לָקַח
This verb gives the root’s basic image of taking in, which deepens the sense of learning as received instruction.
lāqaḥat: To take; to receive (infinitive form).
לָקַחַת
This form preserves the same action of receiving, illuminating how instruction can continue to enter and shape what is said.
THE PATTERN
What fills and forms the heart trains the mouth, making speech an outward expression of inward understanding.
The mouth of the aligned buds forth wisdom; but the tongue of twistings is cut off.The mouth of the aligned one murmurs wisdom, and his tongue speaks judgment.A good human brings out good from the good treasure of the heart, and an evil human brings out evil from the evil treasure of the heart, for from the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks.THE THREAD
The wise of heart is called discerning, and the sweetness of the lips adds to what is taken in.The same Hebrew word לֶקַח (leqaḥ, instruction or learning) appears in both verses. This line adds that sweetness of the lips increases that instruction, showing how heart-taught speech grows in both substance and tenderness.
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