The Meaning of Proverbs 27:11 Explained

Proverbs 27:11

KJV: My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.

YLT: Be wise, my son, and rejoice my heart. And I return my reproacher a word.

Darby: Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me.

ASV: My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him that reproacheth me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

My son,  be wise,  and make my heart  glad,  that I may answer  him that reproacheth  me. 

What does Proverbs 27:11 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 27:1-22 - "hearty Counsel"
The keyword in this paragraph is friends, Proverbs 27:6; Proverbs 27:9-10; Proverbs 27:14; Proverbs 27:17; Proverbs 19:1-29. Friends, according to the original sense of the Hebrew word, are those who delight in each other's companionship. Either they are useful to each other because the one possesses gifts that the other lacks, or they have certain tastes in common.
It is in friendship that we get to know ourselves, as a man sees his face in the mirror of calm water, Proverbs 27:19. We unfold to each other; our friend elicits traits of which we were hardly aware. Our sympathy and tenderness are drawn forth by our friend's troubles, as our laughter flashes out to awaken or to answer his high spirits. We shudder to think what cold and undeveloped beings we should be without the sharpening of friendship, Proverbs 27:17. How sweet human friendships are! Proverbs 27:9. Why not find equal confidence and sweetness in the greatest Friend of all? Of course, there is a friendship "which is wholly hypocritical and worthless." Such a friendship is marked by loud and ostentatious demonstration. See Proverbs 27:14. Ponder Christ's offer, John 15:14-15. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 27

1  observations of self love
5  of true love
11  of care to avoid offenses
23  and of the household care

What do the individual words in Proverbs 27:11 mean?

Be wise My son and make glad my heart that I may answer him who reproaches me act
חֲכַ֣ם בְּ֭נִי וְשַׂמַּ֣ח לִבִּ֑י וְאָשִׁ֖יבָה חֹרְפִ֣י דָבָֽר

חֲכַ֣ם  Be  wise 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: חָכַם  
Sense: to be wise.
בְּ֭נִי  My  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְשַׂמַּ֣ח  and  make  glad 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׂמֵחַ  
Sense: joyful, merry, glad.
לִבִּ֑י  my  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וְאָשִׁ֖יבָה  that  I  may  answer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
חֹרְפִ֣י  him  who  reproaches  me 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: חָרַף 
Sense: to reproach, taunt, blaspheme, defy, jeopardise, rail, upbraid.
דָבָֽר  act 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.