The Meaning of Proverbs 21:23 Explained

Proverbs 21:23

KJV: Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

YLT: Whoso is keeping his mouth and his tongue, Is keeping from adversities his soul.

Darby: Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

ASV: Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue Keepeth his soul from troubles.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Whoso keepeth  his mouth  and his tongue  keepeth  his soul  from troubles. 

What does Proverbs 21:23 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 21

1  The king's heart in the hand of the Lord

What do the individual words in Proverbs 21:23 mean?

Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps from troubles his soul
שֹׁמֵ֣ר פִּ֭יו וּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹ שֹׁמֵ֖ר מִצָּר֣וֹת נַפְשֽׁוֹ

שֹׁמֵ֣ר  Whoever  guards 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
פִּ֭יו  his  mouth 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
וּלְשׁוֹנ֑וֹ  and  tongue 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לָשֹׁון  
Sense: tongue.
שֹׁמֵ֖ר  Keeps 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
מִצָּר֣וֹת  from  troubles 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural
Root: צָרָה 
Sense: straits, distress, trouble.
נַפְשֽׁוֹ  his  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.