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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Proverbs 16

Proverbs 16: the Lord weighs the spirits, kings and their thrones, and pride before a fall

General context

The chapter opens with a run of sayings about the Lord. The preparations of the heart and the answer of the tongue are from him; all a man's ways are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits; the Lord has made all things for himself, even the wicked for the day of evil; when a man's ways please the Lord he makes his enemies at peace with him; a man's heart devises his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. A block of sayings concerns the king: a divine sentence is in his lips, a just weight and balance are the Lord's, it is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness because the throne is established by righteousness, the wrath of a king is as messengers of death, and in the light of his countenance is life. Getting wisdom is better than gold. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall; better to be humble with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud. Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones. There is a way that seems right to a man whose end is the ways of death. An ungodly man digs up evil, a froward man sows strife, a whisperer separates chief friends, a violent man entices his neighbour, and one shuts his eyes to devise froward things. The hoary head is a crown of glory if found in the way of righteousness. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city. The chapter closes with the lot cast into the lap, whose whole disposing is of the Lord.

Cited passages: Proverbs 16:1, Proverbs 16:2, Proverbs 16:3, Proverbs 16:4, Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 16:6, Proverbs 16:7, Proverbs 16:8, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 16:10, Proverbs 16:11, Proverbs 16:12, Proverbs 16:13, Proverbs 16:14, Proverbs 16:15, Proverbs 16:16, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 16:19, Proverbs 16:20, Proverbs 16:24, Proverbs 16:25, Proverbs 16:26, Proverbs 16:27, Proverbs 16:28, Proverbs 16:29, Proverbs 16:30, Proverbs 16:31, Proverbs 16:32, Proverbs 16:33

Proverbs 16 (KJV)

1The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

2All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.

3Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

4The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

5Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

6By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

7When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

8Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

9A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

10A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

11A just weight and balance are the Lord’s: all the weights of the bag are his work.

12It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.

13Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.

14The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.

15In the light of the king’s countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain.

16How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!

17The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

18Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

19Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

20He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.

21The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.

22Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.

23The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.

24Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

25There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

26He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

27An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.

28A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

29A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.

30He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.

31The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

32He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

33The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

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Historical context

The chapter has no heading and names no king, person or place. The Lord is named eleven times, in verses 1 to 7, 9, 11, 20 and 33, and verses 1 to 9, all but verse 8, form the longest run of sayings about him in the collection so far. The king of verses 10 and 12 to 15 is a general figure; "the king" and "kings" are used without a name, and the saying that "A divine sentence is in the lips of the king" is stated as a proverb, not attached to any ruler or judgment. Verse 4, that the Lord made "even the wicked for the day of evil", is stated without explanation of what that day is. The phrase "though hand join in hand" in verse 5 repeats 11:21 and is not glossed by the text. Verse 25 repeats 14:12 word for word. The "lot" of verse 33 is named without saying what it decides or who casts it; the saying assigns its outcome to the Lord. The four verses 27 to 30 describe an ungodly, froward, violent and scheming man as types; no event is reported. "The latter rain" in verse 15 is an image for the king's favour, and "the hoary head" in verse 31 is honoured only "if it be found in the way of righteousness", a condition the text itself attaches.

Cited passages: Proverbs 16:1, Proverbs 16:33, Proverbs 16:10, Proverbs 16:12, Proverbs 16:4, Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 11:21, Proverbs 16:25, Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 16:29, Proverbs 16:15, Proverbs 16:31

Literary context

This chapter uses the antithetic "but" pair far less than chapters 10 to 15. The opening block, verses 1 to 9 (all but verse 8), is held together by the name of the Lord rather than by contrast, and it is framed by two sayings on the same idea: the answer of the tongue is from the Lord (verse 1) and the Lord directs the steps a man's heart has devised (verse 9); the last verse of the chapter returns to it a third time with the lot whose disposing is of the Lord. A block on the king (verses 10 to 15) follows, with the Lord's just weights set in its middle. "Better" sayings are frequent: verse 8, verse 16 as an exclamation, verse 19, and verse 32, which ranks self-rule above taking a city. Verses 27 to 30 build a portrait across four verses, each opening with a kind of man, ungodly, froward, violent, and then a man who shuts his eyes and moves his lips. The honeycomb of verse 24 was the image for the strange woman's lips in 5:3; here it is pleasant words that are sweet and healthy. Verse 18, pride before destruction, answers 15:33, humility before honour, so the two chapters meet on that hinge. Verse 2 and verse 25 both describe a man's own judgment of his way, clean or right in his own eyes, and set the Lord's weighing or the end of the way against it.

Cited passages: Proverbs 16:1, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 16:33, Proverbs 16:11, Proverbs 16:8, Proverbs 16:16, Proverbs 16:19, Proverbs 16:32, Proverbs 16:27, Proverbs 16:28, Proverbs 16:29, Proverbs 16:30, Proverbs 16:24, Proverbs 5:3, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 15:33, Proverbs 16:2, Proverbs 16:25

Key moments

  1. The answer of the tongue (Proverbs 16:1). The heart's preparations and the tongue's answer are said to be from the Lord.
  2. The Lord directeth his steps (Proverbs 16:9). A man's heart devises his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
  3. The throne and righteousness (Proverbs 16:12). Wickedness is an abomination to kings because the throne is established by righteousness.
  4. Pride before destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
  5. Words as honeycomb (Proverbs 16:24). Pleasant words are compared to honeycomb, sweet and healthy.
  6. Ruling one's spirit (Proverbs 16:32). Being slow to anger is ranked above might, and ruling one's spirit above taking a city.
  7. The lot in the lap (Proverbs 16:33). The lot is cast into the lap, but its whole disposing is of the Lord.

For reflection

Verse 2 says all a man's ways are clean in his own eyes but the Lord weighs the spirits, and verse 25 says a way that seems right can end in death. If a way already seems right, what in this chapter would a reader use to check it?