After this general preface the exhortation now becomes special:

23 Above all other things that are to be guarded, keep thy heart,

     For out from it life has its issues.

24 Put away from thee perverseness of mouth,

     And waywardness of lips put far from thee.

25 Thine eyes should look straight forward,

     And thine eyelids look straight to the end before thee.

26 Make even the path of thy feet,

     And let all thy ways be correct.

27 Turn not aside to the right and to the left;

     Remove thy foot from evil.

Although משׁמר in itself and in this connection may mean the object to be watchfully avoided (cavendi) (vid., under Proverbs 2:20): thus the usage of the language lying before us applies it, yet only as denoting the place of watching or the object observandi; so that it is not to be thus explained, with Raschi and others: before all from which one has to protect himself (ab omni re cavenda), guard thine heart; but: before all that one has to guard (prae omni re custodienda), guard it as the most precious of possessions committed to thy trust. The heart, which according to its etymon denotes that which is substantial (Kernhafte) in man (cf. Arab. lubb, the kernel of the nut or almond), comes here into view not as the physical, but as the intellectual, and specially the ethical centrum.

Proverbs 5:2 Parallel Commentaries

thy lips

Proverbs 10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

Proverbs 15:2,7 The tongue of the wise uses knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness...

Proverbs 16:23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.

Proverbs 20:15 There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

Psalm 45:2 You are fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into your lips: therefore God has blessed you for ever.

Psalm 71:15 My mouth shall show forth your righteousness and your salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

Psalm 119:13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of your mouth.

Songs 4:11 Your lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under your tongue...

Malachi 2:6,7 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity...