Proverbs 27:23 (ASV)

Passage

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, [And] look well to thy herds:

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:21 The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; And a man is [tried] by his praise.

Proverbs 27:22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain, Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Proverbs 27:23 Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, [And] look well to thy herds:

Proverbs 27:24 For riches are not for ever: And doth the crown endure unto all generations?

Proverbs 27:25 The hay is carried, and the tender grass showeth itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "diligent", "state", "flocks", "look", "well", and "herds". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "diligent", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Though thou shouldest bray a fool in..." into verse 24's "For riches are not for ever And...", so "thou" and "diligent" 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 "thou" and "diligent" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.