◄ Proverbs 22:11 ►
He who loves a pure heart and gracious lips will have the king for a friend.
Study Bible
He who loves a pure heart
The phrase "pure heart" in Hebrew is "לב טהור" (lev tahor). The heart, in biblical terms, often represents the center of one's being, encompassing thoughts, emotions, and will. A "pure heart" suggests sincerity, integrity, and moral clarity. In a historical context, purity was not just a personal virtue but a communal expectation, especially in Israelite society where the heart's condition was seen as reflective of one's relationship with God. Loving a pure heart implies a deep appreciation for truth and righteousness, aligning oneself with God's standards.

and gracious lips
The Hebrew for "gracious lips" is "שפתים חן" (s'fatayim chen). "Gracious" denotes kindness, charm, and favor. Lips, symbolizing speech, are powerful tools for communication. In the ancient Near East, eloquence and the ability to speak wisely and kindly were highly valued. Gracious speech is not merely about politeness but reflects a heart transformed by wisdom and love. It is speech that builds up, encourages, and brings peace, echoing the biblical principle that words have the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21).

will have the king for a friend
In ancient times, having the king as a friend was a position of great honor and influence. The "king" here can be understood literally as a monarch or figuratively as a person of authority or influence. The Hebrew word for "friend" is "רֵעַ" (rea), which implies a close, trusted companion. This part of the verse suggests that those who cultivate inner purity and speak with grace will naturally attract the favor of those in power. Historically, kings valued advisors who were both wise and trustworthy, as their counsel could impact the entire kingdom. Spiritually, this can be seen as a metaphor for divine favor, where God, the ultimate King, draws near to those who embody these virtues.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Wise Man
The individual who loves a pure heart and gracious lips, embodying wisdom and integrity.

2. The King
Represents authority and leadership, often seen as a figure of power and influence in biblical times.

3. Solomon
Traditionally attributed as the author of Proverbs, known for his wisdom and understanding.

4. Ancient Israel
The cultural and historical context in which Proverbs was written, emphasizing wisdom and moral living.

5. The Court
The setting where interactions with the king would occur, highlighting the importance of character in gaining favor.
Teaching Points
Value of Purity
Emphasize the importance of cultivating a pure heart, which is central to Christian character and integrity.

Power of Words
Highlight the significance of gracious speech, which can open doors and build relationships, even with those in authority.

Influence through Character
Teach that true influence and favor come from inner qualities rather than external achievements.

Pursuit of Wisdom
Encourage the pursuit of wisdom as a lifelong journey, aligning one's heart and speech with God's standards.

Role of Relationships
Discuss how godly character can lead to meaningful relationships, including with those in positions of power.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of a "pure heart" in Proverbs 22:11 relate to other biblical teachings on purity?

2. In what ways can our speech reflect the graciousness described in this verse, and how can it impact our relationships?

3. What are some practical steps we can take to cultivate a pure heart and gracious lips in our daily lives?

4. How does the promise of having "the king for a friend" illustrate the broader biblical principle of favor through godly character?

5. Can you identify a situation in your life where integrity and gracious speech have led to positive outcomes or relationships? How does this align with the teachings of Proverbs 22:11?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 24:3-4
Discusses the importance of having clean hands and a pure heart to stand in God's holy place, paralleling the value of purity in Proverbs 22:11.

Matthew 5:8
Jesus' Beatitude about the pure in heart seeing God, reinforcing the blessing of purity.

James 3:17
Describes wisdom from above as pure and peace-loving, connecting to the gracious lips mentioned in Proverbs.

1 Samuel 16:7
God's focus on the heart rather than outward appearance, aligning with the emphasis on a pure heart.

Philippians 4:8
Encourages believers to think on things that are pure and lovely, similar to the virtues in Proverbs 22:11.
Sermons
PurityCanon Diggle.Proverbs 22:11
The Good ManD. Thomas, D.D.Proverbs 22:11
The Grace of the LipsHenry Allon.Proverbs 22:11
The Good NameE. Johnson Proverbs 22:1-16
Means to the Preservation of the Good NameE. Johnson Proverbs 22:6-12
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Clean, Cleanness, Dear, Friend, Grace, Gracefully, Gracious, Heart, King's, Lips, Loves, Loveth, Loving, Pure, Pureness, Purity, Speaks, Speech
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 22:11

     5842   eloquence

Library
The Rich and the Poor
Chapel Royal, Whitehall, 1871. Proverbs xxii. 2. "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all." I have been asked to preach here this afternoon on behalf of the Parochial Mission Women's Fund. I may best describe the object for which I plead, as an attempt to civilise and Christianise the women of the lower classes in the poorer districts of London and other great towns, by means of women of their own class--women, who have gone through the same struggles as they have, …
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

One Lion Two Lions no Lion at All
A sermon (No. 1670) delivered on Thursday Evening, June 8th, 1882, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets."--Proverbs 22:13. "The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets."--Proverbs 26:13. This slothful man seems to cherish that one dread of his about the lions, as if it were his favorite aversion and he felt it to be too much trouble to invent another excuse. …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

The Formation of Habits.
School Sermon. Proverbs xxii. 6. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." INTRODUCTION.--There is a district, high up in the Black Forest, where the ground is full of springs. It is a plain some nine hundred feet above the sea. Thousands upon thousands of little springs gush out of the soil; you seem to be on the rose of a vast watering-can. Now, from this great source flow a good many rivers, and they flow in very different, nay, opposite directions. …
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent

The Christian Business World
Scripture references: Proverbs 22:29; Romans 12:11; Psalms 24:1; 50:10-12; Haggai 2:8; Psalm 49:6,10,16,17; 62:10; Matthew 13:22; Mark 10:23,24; Job 31:24-26; Proverbs 3:9; Matthew 25:14-30; 24:45-51; 6:19-21; Luke 12:16-21. THE IDEAL IN THE BUSINESS WORLD There is often a wide difference between the methods actually employed in doing business and when they should be. Good men who are in the thick of the battle of competition and rivalry with other firms in the same line of trade, are the quickest …
Henry T. Sell—Studies in the Life of the Christian

Philip and the Emperor
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.--Prov. xxii. 29. Kallias stayed a fortnight under the hospitable roof of Olympias, and during those days he had the pleasure of seeing how greatly his honest and genial simplicity brightened the thoughts both of his hostess and of his friend. The general outline of his own future seemed now to be approximately settled. Like Philip, he had acquired an incurable disgust for Constantinople, with …
Frederic William Farrar—Gathering Clouds: A Tale of the Days of St. Chrysostom

He Accuses Abaelard for Preferring his Own Opinions and Even Fancies to the Unanimous Consent of the Fathers, Especially Where He Declares that Christ did Not
He accuses Abaelard for preferring his own opinions and even fancies to the unanimous consent of the Fathers, especially where he declares that Christ did not become incarnate in order to save man from the power of the devil. 11. I find in a book of his sentences, and also in an exposition of his of the Epistle to the Romans, that this rash inquirer into the Divine Majesty attacks the mystery of our Redemption. He admits in the very beginning of his disputation that there has never been but one conclusion …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Baptismal Covenant Can be Kept Unbroken. Aim and Responsibility of Parents.
We have gone "to the Law and to the Testimony" to find out what the nature and benefits of Baptism are. We have gathered out of the Word all the principal passages bearing on this subject. We have grouped them together, and studied them side by side. We have noticed that their sense is uniform, clear, and strong. Unless we are willing to throw aside all sound principles of interpretation, we can extract from the words of inspiration only one meaning, and that is that the baptized child is, by virtue …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. "
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God's sight! How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a pure mass of light and …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

We Shall not be Curious in the Ranking of the Duties in which Christian Love...
We shall not be curious in the ranking of the duties in which Christian love should exercise itself. All the commandments of the second table are but branches of it: they might be reduced all to the works of righteousness and of mercy. But truly these are interwoven through other. Though mercy uses to be restricted to the showing of compassion upon men in misery, yet there is a righteousness in that mercy, and there is mercy in the most part of the acts of righteousness, as in not judging rashly, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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