He that loveth pureness of heart, [for] the grace of his lips the king [shall be] his friend.
Ver. 11. He that loveth pureness of heart.] That is vexed at his inward pollutions, and affecteth (what he can never fully effect) to be pure as God is pure. 1Jn 3:3 He that hath gotten that pure lip, Zep 3:9 called here the grace of his lips, and elsewhere the "law of grace," Pro 31:26 he that can skill of those good words that do ingratiate with God and man (Genesis 49:21, compared with Deu 33:23), he is fit to make a courtier, a favourite, such as was Joseph, Mordecai, Daniel, who though he used not always verbis byssinis, soft and silken words, but delivered heavy messages from God to Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar, yet God so wrought their hearts, though tyrants, that they greatly honoured him and highly preferred him. And when, out of his love to pureness of heart, he chose rather affliction than sin, to be cast to the lions than to bear a lion in his own bosom by offending his conscience, God made the king's heart yearn towards him; so that this plain dealing "Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian." Dan 6:28