Proverbs 16:25 (DBY)

Passage

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:23 The heart of the wise maketh his mouth intelligent, and upon his lips increaseth learning.

Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are [as] a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health for the bones.

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the ways of death.

Proverbs 16:26 The appetite of the labourer laboureth for him, for his mouth urgeth him on.

Proverbs 16:27 A man of Belial diggeth up evil, and on his lips there is as a scorching fire.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "seemeth", "right", "thereof", "ways", and "death". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "seemeth" and "right", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 24's "Pleasant words are as a honeycomb sweet..." into verse 26's "The appetite of the labourer laboureth for...", so "seemeth" and "right" 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 "seemeth" and "right" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.