Proverbs 17:27

He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
hath	יוֹדֵ֣עַ yo.De.a'	H3045	to know (properly · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
knowledge	דָּ֑עַת Da.'at	H1847	knowledge · noun, common feminine singular absolute
spareth	חוֹשֵׂ֣ךְ cho.Sekh	H2820	to restrain or (reflex.) refrain · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
words	אֲ֭מָרָיו 'A.ma.rav	H561	something said · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
man	אִ֣ישׁ 'ish	H376	a man as an individual or a male person · noun, common masculine singular construct
understanding	תְּבוּנָֽה te.vu.Nah	H8394	intelligence · noun, common feminine singular absolute
excellent	יְקַר ve.kar-	H3368	valuable (objectively or subjectively) · adjective, masculine singular construct
spirit	ר֝֗וּחַ Ru.ach	H7307	wind · noun, common feminine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Proverbs 14:29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Ecclesiastes 9:17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 17:27–end

Two ways a man may show himself to be a wise man: - 1. By the good temper, the sweetness and the sedateness, of his mind: A man of understanding is of an excellent spirit, a precious spirit (so the word is); he is one that looks well to his spirit, that it be as it should be, and so keeps it in an even frame, easy to himself and pleasant to others. A gracious spirit is a precious spirit, and renders a man amiable and more excellent than his neighbour. He is of a cool spirit (so some read it), not heated with passion, nor put into any tumult or disorder by the impetus of any corrupt affection, but even and stayed. A cool head with a warm heart is an admirable composition. 2. By the good gover…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 17:27

Prudence of speech is commended as is an excellent or calm spirit, not excited to vain conversation. Next: Proverbs Chapter 18

John Gill on Proverbs 17:27

He that hath knowledge spareth his words,.... Or, "he that knows knowledge" (c); one that is very knowing, has a fund of knowledge in him, "spareth his words"; is generally a man of few words, he thinks much and says little; and though he may be communicative of his knowledge to proper persons, and at proper times, yet never speaks of it in a boasting and ostentatious way: or, he "restrains his words" (d); he puts a bridle on them; and suffers not himself to speak hastily and angrily, and in a reproachful manner, when he is provoked to it; and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit; here is a various reading; the "Cetib" is "of a cool spirit" (e); in opposition to a warm fiery sp…

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Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 17:27

27 He that keepeth his words to himself hath knowledge, And the cool of temper is a man of understanding. The first line here is a variation of Pro 10:19. The phrase ידע דּעת (here and at Dan 1:4) means to possess knowledge (novisse); more frequently it is בּינה ידע, e.g., Pro 4:1, where ידע has the inchoative sense of noscere. In 27b the Kerı̂ is יקר־רוח. Jerome translates it pretiosi spiritus, the Venet. τίμιος τὸ πνεῦμα. Rashi glosses יקר here, as at Sa1 3:1, by מנוע (thus to be read after codd.), retentus spiritu; most interpreters remark that the spirit here comes into view as expressing itself in words. It is scarcely correct to say that יקר דּברים could designate one who is sparing…

The Church Fathers

They said of Agatho that for three years he kept a stone in his mouth in order to teach himself silence.
— Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

Let your words be measured and counted by yourself, knowing that you shall render an account to God of what comes out of your mouth, including a pleasantry or even a word that does not edify.… And do not become a stranger to such promises. Whatever you think and whatever you love, establish it firmly in the Lord. And keep in mind your departure from the body to go to God "who will reward each one according to his works."
— Pachomius the Great, FRAGMENT 2:3

He asks of wisdom, who seeks to know what is the will of God. And he will show himself prudent who is sparing of his words on that which he has come to learn. If one inquires about wisdom, desiring to learn something about wisdom, while another asks nothing of wisdom, as not only wishing to learn nothing about wisdom himself, but even keeping back his neighbours from so doing, the former certainly is deemed to be more prudent than the latter.
— Hippolytus of Rome, Hippolytus Exegetical Fragments

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Proverbs, Book of — A collection of moral and philosophical maxims of a wide range of subjects presented in a poetic form. This book sets forth the “philosophy of practical life. It is the sign to us that the Bible does…
Speaking · WISDOM IN — WISDOM IN
Tongue · Restrained by wisdom — Restrained by wisdom

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Proverbs 17:27

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 17:27–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 17:27

John Gill on Proverbs 17:27

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 17:27

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Proverbs 17:27

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 17:27–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 17:27

John Gill on Proverbs 17:27

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 17:27

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Proverbs 17:25

Rashi on Proverbs 17:27