Proverbs 16:31 (ASV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Proverbs 16:33 The lot is cast into the lap; But the whole disposing thereof is of Jehovah.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hoary", "head", "crown", "glory", "shall", "found", and "righteousness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hoary" and "head", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 30's "He that shutteth his eyes it is..." into verse 32's "He that is slow to anger is...", so "hoary" and "head" 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 "hoary" and "head" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.