Proverbs 15:28 (ASV)

Passage

The heart of the righteous studieth to answer; But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 15:26 Evil devices are an abomination to Jehovah; But pleasant words [are] pure.

Proverbs 15:27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; But he that hateth bribes shall live.

Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer; But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

Proverbs 15:29 Jehovah is far from the wicked; But he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart; [And] good tidings make the bones fat.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heart", "righteous", "studieth", "answer", "mouth", "wicked", "poureth", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heart" and "righteous", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "He that is greedy of gain troubleth..." into verse 29's "Jehovah is far from the wicked But...", so "heart" and "righteous" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "heart" and "righteous" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.