Proverbs 16:1 (DBY)

Passage

The purposes of the heart are of man, but the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:1 The purposes of the heart are of man, but the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah.

Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but Jehovah weigheth the spirits.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto Jehovah, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "purpose", "purposes", "heart", "answer", "tongue", and "jehovah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "purpose" and "purposes", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "All the ways of a man are...", so "purpose" and "purposes" should be read forward into that movement. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "purpose" and "purposes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.