Even a young man is known by his actions—whether his conduct is pure and upright.
Parallel translations
- WEB Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.
- KJV Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.
- NKJV Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right.
- NASB It is by his deeds that a boy distinguishes himself, If his conduct is pure and right.
- NLT Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Even children reveal their character through their conduct. It matters because actions, not mere words, show whether one is truly upright.
Overview
From an early age, a person's deeds disclose the inner heart — whether it is pure and right. The proverb both warns parents to watch the early signs and reminds all that we are known by our works. It echoes Jesus' teaching that a tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 7:16-20), even as the heart's purity ultimately depends on God's grace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Matt 7:16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
- Luke 6:43–44No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
- Prov 21:8The way of a guilty man is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
- Luke 2:46–47Finally, after three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
- Ps 51:5Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
- Luke 1:15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.
- Ps 58:3The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth.
- Luke 1:66And all who heard this wondered in their hearts and asked, “What then will this child become?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
- Prov 22:15Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 20:11 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.