Proverbs 16:17-27

17 The highway of the upright ¹turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.

18 ²Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

19 ³It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to ⁴divide the spoil with the proud.

20 Whoever gives thought to the word^[a]5will discover good, and blessed is he ⁶who trusts in the LORD.

21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech ⁷increases persuasiveness.

22 Good sense is ⁸a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.

23 ⁹The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

24 ¹⁰Gracious words are like ¹¹a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and ¹²health 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 ¹³mouth urges him on.

27 ¹⁴A worthless man plots evil, and his speech^[c] is like ¹⁵a scorching fire.

Proverbs 16:17-27 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. ver. 6
• 2. See Proverbs 11:2
• 3. Proverbs 29:23; Isaiah 57:15
• 4. See Exodus 15:9
• 5. Proverbs 19:8
• 6. See Psalms 2:12
• 7. ver. 23
• 8. See Proverbs 10:11
• 9. [Psalms 37:30; Matthew 12:34]
• 10. Proverbs 15:26
• 11. Psalms 19:10
• 12. See Proverbs 4:22
• 13. [Ecclesiastes 6:7]
• 14. [Proverbs 6:12, 14, 19]
• 15. James 3:6

Footnotes

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