What does Proverbs 27:11 mean?

A child's behavior reflects on their parents: sons and daughters who act badly bring shame on their father and mother (Proverbs 17:25; 19:26). That's not always fair, since well-raised children can still make poor choices. But, right or wrong, the conduct of children is attributed to their upbringing. In a less-direct way, students are reflections of their teachers. Both concepts seem to apply to this lesson. Solomon (Proverbs 25:1) calls on his "son," possibly meaning a student, to embrace wisdom to silence those who criticize Solomon's teaching. A wisely living child would not only bring Solomon joy but would also provide an immediate response to those slandering Solomon's teaching.

Just as a child's actions influence their parents' reputation—fair or not—the same is true of self-labelled Christians and the reputation of Jesus Christ. What we do reflects on our heavenly Father. Matthew 5:16 exhorts believers to "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." The apostle Paul gives a similar encouragement in Philippians 2:14–15: "Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world."