Proverbs 27:11 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:9 Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; So doth the sweetness of a man`s friend [that cometh] of hearty counsel.

Proverbs 27:10 Thine own friend, and thy father`s friend, forsake not; And go not to thy brother`s house in the day of thy calamity: Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.

Proverbs 27:11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him that reproacheth me.

Proverbs 27:12 A prudent man seeth the evil, [and] hideth himself; [But] the simple pass on, [and] suffer for it.

Proverbs 27:13 Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge [that is surety] for a foreign woman.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wise", "make", "heart", "glad", "answer", and "reproacheth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wise" and "make", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "Thine own friend and thy father s..." into verse 12's "A prudent man seeth the evil and...", so "wise" and "make" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wise" and "make" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.