Proverbs 4:23 (ASV)

Passage

Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart.

Proverbs 4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:24 Put away from thee a wayward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee.

Proverbs 4:25 Let thine eyes look right on, And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "keep", "heart", "diligence", "issues", and "life". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "keep" and "heart", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "For they are life unto those that..." into verse 24's "Put away from thee a wayward mouth...", so "keep" and "heart" 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 "keep" and "heart" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.