Proverbs 16:25 (ASV)

Passage

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:23 The heart of the wise instructeth his mouth, And addeth learning to his lips.

Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are [as] a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 16:26 The appetite of the laboring man laboreth for him; For his mouth urgeth him [thereto].

Proverbs 16:27 A worthless man deviseth mischief; And in his lips there is as a scorching fire.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "seemeth", "right", "thereof", "ways", and "death". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "seemeth" and "right", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 24's "Pleasant words are as a honeycomb Sweet..." into verse 26's "The appetite of the laboring man laboreth...", so "seemeth" and "right" 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 "seemeth" and "right" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.