Proverbs 27:3 (ASV)

Passage

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; But a fool`s vexation is heavier than they both.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of tomorrow; For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Proverbs 27:2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; A stranger, and not thine own lips.

Proverbs 27:3 A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; But a fool`s vexation is heavier than they both.

Proverbs 27:4 Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; But who is able to stand before jealousy?

Proverbs 27:5 Better is open rebuke Than love that is hidden.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "stone", "heavy", "sand", "weighty", "fool", "vexation", "heavier", and "than". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "stone" and "heavy", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Let another man praise thee and not..." into verse 4's "Wrath is cruel and anger is overwhelming...", so "stone" and "heavy" 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 "stone" and "heavy" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.