Proverbs 16:27 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Proverbs 16:28 A false man soweth contention; and a talebearer separateth very friends.

Proverbs 16:29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into a way that is not good.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "belial", "diggeth", "evil", "lips", "scorching", and "fire". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "belial" and "diggeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "The appetite of the labourer laboureth for..." into verse 28's "A false man soweth contention and a...", so "belial" and "diggeth" 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 "belial" and "diggeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.