Proverbs 16:30 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; And he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shutteth", "eyes", "devise", "perverse", "things", "compresseth", "lips", and "bringeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shutteth" and "eyes", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 29's "A man of violence enticeth his neighbor..." into verse 31's "The hoary head is a crown of...", so "shutteth" and "eyes" 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 "shutteth" and "eyes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.