Proverbs 16:27 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Proverbs 16:28 A perverse man scattereth abroad strife; And a whisperer separateth chief friends.

Proverbs 16:29 A man of violence enticeth his neighbor, And leadeth him in a way that is not good.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "worthless", "deviseth", "mischief", "lips", "scorching", and "fire". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "worthless" and "deviseth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "The appetite of the laboring man laboreth..." into verse 28's "A perverse man scattereth abroad strife And...", so "worthless" and "deviseth" 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 "worthless" and "deviseth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.