Proverbs 27:16 (DBY)

Passage

whosoever will restrain her restraineth the wind, and his right hand encountereth oil.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:14 He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be reckoned a curse to him.

Proverbs 27:15 A continual dropping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike:

Proverbs 27:16 whosoever will restrain her restraineth the wind, and his right hand encountereth oil.

Proverbs 27:17 Iron is sharpened by iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof; and he that guardeth his master shall be honoured.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whosoever", "restrain", "restraineth", "wind", "right", "hand", and "encountereth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whosoever" and "restrain", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "A continual dropping on a very rainy..." into verse 17's "Iron is sharpened by iron so a...", so "whosoever" and "restrain" 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 "whosoever" and "restrain" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.