Proverbs 16:29 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Proverbs 16:30 He that shutteth his eyes, [it is] to devise perverse things: He that compresseth his lips bringeth evil to pass.

Proverbs 16:31 The hoary head is a crown of glory; It shall be found in the way of righteousness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "violence", "enticeth", "neighbor", "leadeth", and "good". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "violence" and "enticeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 28's "A perverse man scattereth abroad strife And..." into verse 30's "He that shutteth his eyes it is...", so "violence" and "enticeth" 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 "violence" and "enticeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.