Proverbs 16:8-28

8 ¹Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice.

9 ²The heart of man plans his way, but ³the LORD establishes his steps.

10 ⁴An oracle is on the lips of a king; his mouth does not sin in judgment.

11 ⁵A just balance and scales are the LORD's; all the weights in the bag are his work.

12 It is an abomination to kings to do evil, for ⁶the throne is established by righteousness.

13 ⁷Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.

14 ⁸A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will ⁹appease it.

15 ¹⁰In the light of a king's face there is life, and his ¹¹favor is like ¹²the clouds that bring the spring rain.

16 ¹³How much better to get wisdom than ¹⁴gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ¹⁵silver.

17 The highway of the upright ¹⁶turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.

18 ¹⁷Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

19 ¹⁸It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to ¹⁹divide the spoil with the proud.

20 Whoever gives thought to the word^[a]20will discover good, and blessed is he ²¹who trusts in the LORD.

21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech ²²increases persuasiveness.

22 Good sense is ²³a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.

23 ²⁴The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

24 ²⁵Gracious words are like ²⁶a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and ²⁷health to the body.

25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.^[b]

26 A worker's appetite works for him; his ²⁸mouth urges him on.

27 ²⁹A worthless man plots evil, and his speech^[c] is like ³⁰a scorching fire.

28 ³¹A dishonest man spreads strife, and ³²a whisperer ³³separates close friends.

Proverbs 16:8-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST KINGS 6

This chapter gives an account of the building of the temple, for which preparations were before made and begins with the time of its building, 1Ki 6:1; gives the dimensions of it and the porch before it, 1Ki 6:2,3; observes the windows in it and chambers about it, 1Ki 6:4-10; and while it was building, Solomon had a word from the Lord relative to it, 1Ki 6:11-14; and then the account goes on concerning the walls of the house, and the flooring of it, 1Ki 6:15-18; and the oracle in it, and the cherubim in that, 1Ki 6:19-30; and the doors into it, and the carved work of them, 1Ki 6:31-36; and the chapter is concluded with observing the time when it was begun and finished 1Ki 6:37,38.

Cross References

• 1. See Proverbs 15:16
• 2. [ver. 1; Proverbs 19:21]
• 3. Proverbs 20:24; [Psalms 37:23; Jeremiah 10:23]
• 4. [1 Kings 3:28]
• 5. See Proverbs 11:1
• 6. Proverbs 25:5; [Proverbs 20:28; Proverbs 29:14; Isaiah 16:5]
• 7. [Proverbs 14:35; Proverbs 22:11]
• 8. Proverbs 19:12; Proverbs 20:2
• 9. [Proverbs 25:15]
• 10. [Job 29:24]
• 11. [See ver. 13 above]
• 12. [Psalms 72:6]; See Job 29:23
• 13. Proverbs 8:10, 11, 19
• 14. See Proverbs 3:14
• 15. Proverbs 10:20
• 16. ver. 6
• 17. See Proverbs 11:2
• 18. Proverbs 29:23; Isaiah 57:15
• 19. See Exodus 15:9
• 20. Proverbs 19:8
• 21. See Psalms 2:12
• 22. ver. 23
• 23. See Proverbs 10:11
• 24. [Psalms 37:30; Matthew 12:34]
• 25. Proverbs 15:26
• 26. Psalms 19:10
• 27. See Proverbs 4:22
• 28. [Ecclesiastes 6:7]
• 29. [Proverbs 6:12, 14, 19]
• 30. James 3:6
• 31. See Proverbs 15:18
• 32. [Proverbs 18:8; Proverbs 26:20, 22]
• 33. Proverbs 17:9

Footnotes

• [a]. Or to a matter
• [b]. Hebrew ways of death
• [c]. Hebrew what is on his lips