Proverbs 16:1 (DRB)

Passage

It is the part of man to prepare the soul: and of the Lord to govern the tongue.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:1 It is the part of man to prepare the soul: and of the Lord to govern the tongue.

Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are open to his eyes: the Lord is the weigher of spirits.

Proverbs 16:3 Lay open thy works to the Lord: and thy thoughts shall be directed.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "part", "prepare", "soul", "lord", "govern", and "tongue". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "part" and "prepare", 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 "part" and "prepare" 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 "part" and "prepare" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.