Proverbs 17 · Verse 20

Proverbs 17:20

He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.
Proverbs 17:20, King James Version

Proverbs 17:20 in other translations

BSBThe one with a perverse heart finds no good, and he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.
WEBOne who has a perverse heart doesn’t find prosperity, and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.
ASVHe that hath a wayward heart findeth no good; And he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.
YLTThe perverse of heart findeth not good, And the turned in his tongue falleth into evil.
DARBYHe that hath a perverse heart findeth no good; and he that shifteth about with his tongue falleth into evil.
BBENothing good comes to him whose heart is fixed on evil purposes: and he who has an evil tongue will come to trouble.
WebsterHe that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

What does Proverbs 17:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. The second clause advances on the first. The ill-natured fail of good, and the cavilling and fault-finding incur evil.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
There is nothing got by ill designs. And many have paid dear for an unbridled tongue.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 17:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

עִקֶּשׁ\־'i.kesh-[a person] twisted ofH6141
לֵ֭בlevheartH3820
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
יִמְצָא\־yim.tza'-he findsH4672
ט֑וֹבTovgoodH2896
וְנֶהְפָּ֥ךְve.neh.Pakhand [one who] is pervertedH2015
בִּ֝לְשׁוֹנ֗וֹbil.sho.Noin tongue hisH3956
יִפּ֥וֹלyi.Polhe fallsH5307
בְּרָעָֽה\׃be.ra.'Ahin troubleH7451

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 17:20

  • James 3:6-8

    And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

  • Proverbs 10:31

    The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.

  • Proverbs 10:10

    He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

  • Ecclesiastes 10:12

    The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

  • Proverbs 18:6-7

    A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

  • Psalms 18:26

    With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

  • Proverbs 6:12-15

    A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

  • Proverbs 10:14

    Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

  • Proverbs 8:13

    The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

  • Proverbs 3:32

    For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
He that hath a froward heart. Heb. The froward of heart.
3:32; 6:12-15; 8:13; Ps 18:26
and he.
10:10,14,31; 18:6,7; Ec 10:12; Jas 3:6-8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 17:19

    He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

  • Proverbs 17:20

    He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

  • Proverbs 17:21

    He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

Read all of Proverbs 17

Proverbs 17:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El perverso de corazón nunca hallará bien: y el que revuelve con su lengua, caerá en mal.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Celui qui est pervers de cœur ne trouve pas le bien; et celui qui use de détours avec sa langue tombe dans le mal.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wer verkehrten Herzens ist, wird das Gute nicht finden; und wer sich mit seiner Zunge windet, wird ins Unglück fallen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Qui perversi cordis est non inveniet bonum, et qui vertit linguam incidet in malum.