Proverbs 16 Commentary
Tips For Daily Living Under God’s Guidance
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KEY THOUGHT: Commit[b] your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established. [Proverbs 16:3 NKJV]
Kindly read your Bible before going through the commentary!
Proverbs 16 NKJV
Wisdom Is Better Than Gold 16 The preparations[a] of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.
3 Commit[b] your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.
4 The Lord has made all for Himself, Yes, even the wicked for the day of [c]doom.
5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; Though they join [d]forces, none will go unpunished.
6 In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
8 Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice.
9 A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.
10 Divination is on the lips of the king; His mouth must not transgress in judgment. 11 Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s; All the weights in the bag are His [e]work. 12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, For a throne is established by righteousness. 13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right. 14 As messengers of death is the king’s wrath, But a wise man will appease it. 15 In the light of the king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud of the latter rain.
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before [f]a fall. 19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the [g]spoil with the proud.
20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good, And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he.
21 The wise in heart will be called prudent, And sweetness of the lips increases learning.
22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly.
23 The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, And adds learning to his lips.
24 Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
26 The person who labors, labors for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on.
27 [h]An ungodly man digs up evil, And it is on his lips like a burning fire. 28 A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. 29 A violent man entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good. 30 He winks his eye to devise perverse things; He [i]purses his lips and brings about evil.
31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness.
32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.
33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.
Footnotes
a. Proverbs 16:1 plans
b. Proverbs 16:3 Lit. Roll
c. Proverbs 16:4 Lit. evil
d. Proverbs 16:5 Lit. hand to hand
e. Proverbs 16:11 concern
f. Proverbs 16:18 stumbling
g. Proverbs 16:19 plunder
h. Proverbs 16:27 Lit. A man of Belial
i. Proverbs 16:30 Lit. compresses
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 16 Commentary
We can paste this: Better is a little with righteousness, than vast revenues without justice. Verse 8 underlines contentment. It also challenges the notion that “the end justifies the means”.
The end product is lots of food on the table, but righteously!
Maintain your low position at your workplace if there is no other way up the ladder unless you commit injustice!
Verses 6, 16, and 19 carry the statement, “Better than”. Check it again and see what the scripture says is better. The world laughs at you for having the better version!
”Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” But who wants to be associated with the lowly? Who isn’t interested in the company of the rich? Then you know life isn’t about godly values but worldly and wicked values!
”Better is a little with righteousness, than vast revenues without justice.” It’s not a position we have truly embraced. We laugh at them, the righteous with their little!
When should a man commit his works to the LORD? Yes, when you are stuck.
Since men are always stuck, you commit your works to the LORD always!
Yes, even when you feel you are right. The scripture warns that men’s ways may appear right to them, but the LORD knows better.
The righteous have always struggled with the thought that Mr. Right guarantees a smooth life. But Verse 8 says, “It is well”. The “little and righteousness” is a welcome combination!
We can extend our thoughts to look at fruit of the Spirit. Look at love, peace, mercy, goodness, faithfulness and kindness. See how these elements are exactly what you need to fail in business! But the LORD says, it’s fine and actually better!
Another notion on trial in the chapter is the thought that the end justifies the means. It is both unscriptural and dangerous. It matters how you get your wealth. Let there be justice; let there be honest scales and balances. Cost your product righteously.
The world may appear disorderly and utterly under the control of evil elements. Chapter 16 says no. The LORD works out everything to its proper end; even the wicked are included – but for judgment. This is scary! Yes. The LORD is in total control.
Check with God before you publish your plans. Pride kills.
The chapter ends with yet another mind-boggling statement. Imagine the LORD deciding which team plays who at the world cup! Boardroom decisions? Yes. Random decisions? Yes. Probability decisions? Yes. Well-thought decisions? Yes. These are uncharted waters for human imagination. We leave it there.
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