Proverbs 17:3 (DBY)

Passage

The fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but Jehovah trieth the hearts.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of feasting [with] strife.

Proverbs 17:2 A wise servant shall rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part in the inheritance among the brethren.

Proverbs 17:3 The fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; but Jehovah trieth the hearts.

Proverbs 17:4 The evil-doer giveth heed to iniquitous lips; the liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue.

Proverbs 17:5 Whoso mocketh a poor [man] reproacheth his Maker; he that is glad at calamity shall not be held innocent.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fining-pot", "silver", "furnace", "gold", "jehovah", "trieth", and "hearts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fining-pot" and "silver", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "A wise servant shall rule over a..." into verse 4's "The evil-doer giveth heed to iniquitous lips...", so "fining-pot" and "silver" 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 "fining-pot" and "silver" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.