Proverbs 16

33 verses

TL;DR

Proverbs 16 encourages turning to God for wisdom and warns against pride, illustrating how righteous speech and humility lead to peace, while pride and wickedness bring destruction.

Summary

The chapter opens by affirming that a man’s thoughts and speech are ultimately guided by God, and that the Lord weighs all hearts. It stresses the importance of committing one’s works to God so that thoughts become established. The value of wisdom and understanding is highlighted, with a preference for them over wealth. The dangers of pride and wicked speech are warned against, while humility and righteousness are praised. The role of the king is used as an illustration of divine judgment, justice, and the impact of words. Overall, the chapter balances encouragement for wise living with admonitions against pride and deceit.

Outline

Human intentions and divine judgment
The supreme worth of wisdom versus material wealth
Consequences of pride, wicked speech, and the virtues of humility

Themes

Wisdom versus follyPride and humilityGod’s sovereignty in judgment

Keywords

wisdomunderstandingpridehumilitykingLordheartspeechrighteousnessjusticefearmercytruthbalance

People

KingLord (God)

Places

Things

wisdomunderstandingheartspeechrighteousnesspridehumilitygoldsilverweight and balancehoneycombcloud of the latter rain

Key Verses

Proverbs 16:3: Shows the foundational principle of entrusting one's actions to God.
Proverbs 16:16: Highlights the superiority of wisdom over material riches.
Proverbs 16:18: Illustrates the inevitable downfall that follows pride.

Questions

What does it mean to 'commit your works to the Lord' and how does this shape daily decisions?
Why does the text repeatedly equate wisdom with more value than gold or silver?
How does humility lead to peace with enemies, according to verses 7 and 19?
In what ways does the king’s example illustrate divine justice and the consequences of wicked speech?
How can the warning against pride in verse 18 be applied to modern leadership contexts?

Sentiment

mixed
The chapter offers encouraging wisdom while warning of the negative consequences of pride.