Proverbs 4:23 (DRB)

Passage

With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 4:21 Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:

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

Proverbs 4:23 With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.

Proverbs 4:24 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.

Proverbs 4:25 Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "watchfulness", "keep", "heart", "life", and "issueth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "watchfulness" and "keep", 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 to those that..." into verse 24's "Remove from thee a froward mouth and...", so "watchfulness" and "keep" 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 "watchfulness" and "keep" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.