Proverbs 16:17

17 The highway of the upright avoids evil; the one who guards his way protects his life.^[a]

Proverbs 16:17 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 16:17

The highway of the upright [is] to depart from evil
Upright persons, such who are upright in heart, and walk uprightly; these walk in the highway of holiness, in which men, though fools, shall not err; in the King's highway, the highway of the King of kings; in the plain beaten path of God's commandments; and so shun the bypaths of sin, and abstain from all appearance of it: this is their common constant course of life; they are studiously concerned to walk herein, and take delight in so doing; whereby they escape many evils others fall into; he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul,
that keeps on in his way, the way in which the upright walk; whose eyes look right on, and his eyelids straight before him; who ponders the path of his feet, and turns neither to the right hand nor the left; who walks circumspectly and carefully; observes the road he is in, to keep in it, and not go out of it; such a man preserves his soul from many snares and temptations, troubles, dangers, and evils, which he would be otherwise liable to. Here the Masorites put the word (yux) , signifying that this is the half or middle of the book.

Proverbs 16:17 In-Context

15 When a king's face lights up, there is life; his favor is like a cloud with spring rain.

16 Acquire wisdom- how much better it is than gold! And acquire understanding- it is preferable to silver.

17 The highway of the upright avoids evil; the one who guards his way protects his life.

18 Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.

19 Better to be lowly of spirit with the humble than to divide plunder with the proud.

Footnotes

• [a] Pr 2:11-13; 15:19