Proverbs 16:2 (ASV)

Passage

All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; But Jehovah weigheth the spirits.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:1 The plans of the heart belong to man; But the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah.

Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; But Jehovah weigheth the spirits.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto Jehovah, And thy purposes shall be established.

Proverbs 16:4 Jehovah hath made everything for its own end; Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "ways", "clean", "eyes", "jehovah", "weigheth", and "spirits". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "ways", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "The plans of the heart belong to..." into verse 3's "Commit thy works unto Jehovah And thy...", so "Spirit" and "ways" 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 "Spirit" and "ways" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.