Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 20:9
9Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”?
Proverbs 20:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
- New International Version (NIV)Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Who can say, "I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin"?
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who can say, “I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin”?
Context of Proverbs 20:9
7A righteous person acts with integrity; his children who come after him will be happy. 8A king sitting on a throne to judge separates out all evil with his eyes. Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin”? 10Differing weights and varying measures — both are detestable to the Lord. 11Even a young man is known by his actions — by whether his behavior is pure and upright.
Read all of Proverbs 20Proverbs 20:9 word by word
מִֽי־יֹ֭אמַר זִכִּ֣יתִי לִבִּ֑י טָ֝הַ֗רְתִּי מֵחַטָּאתִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 20:9
- 1 Kings 8:46When they sin against you — for there is no one who does not sin — and you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, and their captors deport them to the enemy’s country — whether distant or nearby —
- 2 Chronicles 6:36When they sin against you — for there is no one who does not sin — and you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, and their captors deport them to a distant or nearby country,
- Job 14:4Who can produce something pure from what is impure? No one!
- Job 15:14What is a mere human, that he should be pure, or one born of a woman, that he should be righteous?
- Job 25:4How can a human be justified before God? How can one born of woman be pure?
- Psalms 51:5Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
- Ecclesiastes 7:20There is certainly no one righteous on the earth who does good and never sins.
- 1 Corinthians 4:4For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me.
- James 3:2For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is mature, able also to control the whole body.
- 1 John 1:8If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Commentaries on Proverbs 20:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Who can say, I have made any heart clean - No man. But thousands can testify that the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed them from all unrighteousness. And he is pure from his sin, who is justified freely through the redemption that is in Jesus.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9A warning voice against the spirit, which, ignorant of its own guilt, is forward to condemn others.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9Verse 9 Some can say, Through grace, we are cleaner than we have been; but it was the work of the Holy Spirit.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9Wise people know their own weaknesses. Pride stops people from seeing their faults (Proverbs 6:17–18; 11:2; 13:10; 15:33; 16:18; 18:12; see also 1 John 1:8–10).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. The interrogation in the affirmative strengthens the implied negation (compare Job 15:14; Ec 7:20).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 20:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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