Proverbs 16:14-24

14 ¹A king’s wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will ²appease it.

15 ³In the light of a king’s face there is life, and his ⁴favor is like ⁵the clouds that bring the spring rain.

16 ⁶How much better to get wisdom than ⁷gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than ⁸silver.

17 The highway of the upright ⁹turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life.

18 ¹⁰Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

19 ¹¹It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor than to ¹²divide the spoil with the proud.

20 Whoever gives thought to the word^{[a] 13}will discover good, and blessed is he ¹⁴who trusts in the Lord.

21 The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech ¹⁵increases persuasiveness.

22 Good sense is ¹⁶a fountain of life to him who has it, but the instruction of fools is folly.

23 ¹⁷The heart of the wise makes his speech judicious and adds persuasiveness to his lips.

24 ¹⁸Gracious words are like ¹⁹a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and ²⁰health to the body.

Proverbs 16:14-24 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. 16:14 ch. 19:12; 20:2
• 2. 16:14 [ch. 25:15]
• 3. 16:15 [Job 29:24]
• 4. 16:15 [See ver. 13 above]
• 5. 16:15 [Ps. 72:6]; See Job 29:23
• 6. 16:16 ch. 8:10, 11, 19
• 7. 16:16 See ch. 3:14
• 8. 16:16 ch. 10:20
• 9. 16:17 ver. 6
• 10. 16:18 See ch. 11:2
• 11. 16:19 ch. 29:23; Isa. 57:15
• 12. 16:19 See Ex. 15:9
• 13. 16:20 ch. 19:8
• 14. 16:20 See Ps. 2:12
• 15. 16:21 ver. 23
• 16. 16:22 See ch. 10:11
• 17. 16:23 [Ps. 37:30; Matt. 12:34]
• 18. 16:24 ch. 15:26
• 19. 16:24 Ps. 19:10
• 20. 16:24 See ch. 4:22

Footnotes

• [a] 16:20 Or 'to a matter'