Proverbs 18:16 (ASV)

Passage

A man`s gift maketh room for him, And bringeth him before great men.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:14 The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; But a broken spirit who can bear?

Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Proverbs 18:16 A man`s gift maketh room for him, And bringeth him before great men.

Proverbs 18:17 He that pleadeth his cause first [seemeth] just; But his neighbor cometh and searcheth him out.

Proverbs 18:18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, And parteth between the mighty.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gift", "maketh", "room", "bringeth", "before", and "great". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gift" and "maketh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge..." into verse 17's "He that pleadeth his cause first seemeth...", so "gift" and "maketh" 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 "gift" and "maketh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.