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Contemporary English Version

Proverbs 20:11

The good or bad that children do shows what they are like.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Children;   Thompson Chain Reference - Home;   Parents;   The Topic Concordance - Bearing Fruit;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Purity-Purification;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Even a young man is known by his actions—by whether his behavior is pure and upright.
Hebrew Names Version
Even a child makes himself known by his doings, Whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.
King James Version
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
English Standard Version
Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
New American Standard Bible
It is by his deeds that a boy distinguishes himself, If his conduct is pure and right.
New Century Version
Even children are known by their behavior; their actions show if they are innocent and good.
Amplified Bible
Even a boy is known and distinguished by his acts, Whether his conduct is pure and right.
World English Bible
Even a child makes himself known by his doings, Whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A childe also is knowen by his doings, whether his worke be pure and right.
Legacy Standard Bible
It is by his deeds that a young man makes himself knownIf his conduct is pure and right.
Berean Standard Bible
Even a young man is known by his actions-whether his conduct is pure and upright.
Complete Jewish Bible
The character of even a child is known by how he acts, by whether his deeds are pure and right.
Darby Translation
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
Easy-to-Read Version
Even children show what they are like by the things they do. You can see if their actions are pure and right.
George Lamsa Translation
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his works are pure and whether they are right.
Good News Translation
Even children show what they are by what they do; you can tell if they are honest and good.
Lexham English Bible
Even by his acts, a young man will make himself known, whether his acts are pure and upright.
Literal Translation
Even a child is known by his acts, whether his work is pure, or upright.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A childe is knowne by his conuersacion, whether his workes be pure and right.
American Standard Version
Even a child maketh himself known by his doings, Whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
Bible in Basic English
Even a child may be judged by his doings, if his work is free from sin and if it is right.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
King James Version (1611)
Euen a childe is knowen by his doings, whether his worke be pure, and whether it be right.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A chylde is knowen by his conuersation, whether his workes be pure and right.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A youth when in company with a godly man, will be restrained in his devices, and then his way will be straight.
English Revised Version
Even a child maketh himself known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
A child is vndurstondun bi hise studies, yf his werkis ben riytful and cleene.
Update Bible Version
Even a child makes himself known by his doings, Whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.
Webster's Bible Translation
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work [is] pure, and whether [it is] right.
New English Translation
Even a young man is known by his actions, whether his activity is pure and whether it is right.
New King James Version
Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right.
New Living Translation
Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.
New Life Bible
A young man makes himself known by his actions and proves if his ways are pure and right.
New Revised Standard
Even children make themselves known by their acts, by whether what they do is pure and right.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Even, by his doings, doth a youth make himself known, whether, pure and upright, be his work.
Douay-Rheims Bible
By his inclinations a child is known, if his works be clean and right.
Revised Standard Version
Even a child makes himself known by his acts, whether what he does is pure and right.
Young's Literal Translation
Even by his actions a youth maketh himself known, Whether his work be pure or upright.
THE MESSAGE
Young people eventually reveal by their actions if their motives are on the up and up.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
It is by his deeds that a lad distinguishes himself If his conduct is pure and right.

Contextual Overview

11 The good or bad that children do shows what they are like.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 21:8, Proverbs 22:15, Psalms 51:5, Psalms 58:3, Matthew 7:16, Luke 1:15, Luke 1:66, Luke 2:46, Luke 2:47, Luke 6:43, Luke 6:44

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:9 - mocking 2 Kings 2:23 - little children 2 Kings 22:2 - right Psalms 36:1 - The transgression

Cross-References

Genesis 12:12
When the Egyptians see how lovely you are, they will murder me because I am your husband. But they won't kill you.
Genesis 20:1
Abraham moved to the Southern Desert, where he settled between Kadesh and Shur. Later he went to Gerar, and while there
Genesis 20:4
Abimelech said to the Lord, "Don't kill me! I haven't slept with Sarah. Didn't they say they were brother and sister? I am completely innocent."
Genesis 22:12
"Don't hurt the boy or harm him in any way!" the angel said. "Now I know that you truly obey God, because you were willing to offer him your only son."
Genesis 26:7
with his beautiful wife Rebekah. He was afraid that someone might kill him to get her, and so he told everyone that Rebekah was his sister.
Genesis 42:18
before saying to them: Since I respect God, I'll give you a chance to save your lives.
Nehemiah 5:15
Each governor before me had been a burden to the people by making them pay for his food and wine and by demanding forty silver coins a day. Even their officials had been a burden to the people. But I respected God, and I didn't think it was right to be so hard on them.
Job 1:1
Many years ago, a man named Job lived in the land of Uz. He was a truly good person, who respected God and refused to do evil.
Job 28:28
God told us, "Wisdom means that you respect me, the Lord, and turn from sin."
Psalms 14:4
Won't you evil people learn? You refuse to pray, and you gobble down the Lord 's people.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Even a child is known by his doings,.... As well as a man; "ye shall know them by their fruits", Matthew 7:16; professors and profane. So a child soon discovers its genius by its actions; it soon shows its inclination and disposition; and some shrewd guesses may be made how it will turn out, a wise man or a fool, a virtuous or a vicious man; though this does not always hold good, yet something may be observed, which may be a direction to parents in the education of their children, and placing them out to what is proper and suitable for them. Some observe, that the word has a quite contrary meaning, that "a child carries himself a stranger by his doings" e; so that he is not known by them: he so conceals and disguises himself, he acts so fraudulently and deceitfully, and plays the hypocrite, and puts the cheat on men, that they cannot tell what he is, nor what he will be; and if children can thus dissemble, as not to be known by their actions, then much more grown persons;

whether his work [be] pure, and whether [it be] right; not what his present work is, or actions are, but what his later life and conversation will be; which in some measure may be judged of, though not with certainty and exactness; see Proverbs 22:6; especially when he acts a covert and deceitful part.

e יתנכר "ignotus erit", i.e. "non facile cognoscitur", Vatablus; so R. Joseph Kimchi; "simulat se alium esse", Gussetius, p. 413. "dissimulatorem agit", Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The graces or the faults of children are not trifles. “The child is father of the man;” and the earliest actions are prophecies of the future, whether it will be pure and right, or unclean and evil.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 20:11. Even a child is known by his doings — That is, in general terms, the effect shows the nature of the cause. "A childe is known by his conversation," says Coverdale. A child is easily detected when he has done evil; he immediately begins to excuse and vindicate himself, and profess his innocence, almost before accusation takes place. Some think the words should be understood, every child will dissemble; this amounts nearly to the meaning given above, But probably the principal this intended by the wise man is, that we may easily learn from the child what the man will be. In general, they give indications of those trades and callings for which they are adapted by nature. And, on the whole, we cannot go by a surer guide in preparing our children for future life, than by observing their early propensities. The future engineer is seen in the little handicraftsman of two years old. Many children are crossed in these early propensities to a particular calling, to their great prejudice, and the loss of their parents, as they seldom settle at, or succeed in, the business to which they are tied, and to which nature has given them no tendency. These infantine predilections to particular callings, we should consider as indications of Divine Providence, and its calling of them to that work for which they are peculiarly fitted.


 
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