Proverbs 27:17 (ASV)

Passage

Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike:

Proverbs 27:16 He that would restrain her restraineth the wind; And his right hand encountereth oil.

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof; And he that regardeth his master shall be honored.

Proverbs 27:19 As in water face [answereth] to face, So the heart of man to man.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "iron", "sharpeneth", "countenance", and "friend". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "iron" and "sharpeneth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "He that would restrain her restraineth the..." into verse 18's "Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the...", so "iron" and "sharpeneth" 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 "iron" and "sharpeneth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.