Proverbs 27:9 (ASV)

Passage

Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; So doth the sweetness of a man`s friend [that cometh] of hearty counsel.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:7 The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

Proverbs 27:8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, So is a man that wandereth from his place.

Proverbs 27:9 Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; So doth the sweetness of a man`s friend [that cometh] of hearty counsel.

Proverbs 27:10 Thine own friend, and thy father`s friend, forsake not; And go not to thy brother`s house in the day of thy calamity: Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.

Proverbs 27:11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him that reproacheth me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "perfume", "rejoice", "heart", "doth", "sweetness", "friend", "cometh", and "hearty". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "perfume" and "rejoice", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "As a bird that wandereth from her..." into verse 10's "Thine own friend and thy father s...", so "perfume" and "rejoice" 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 "perfume" and "rejoice" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.