Proverbs 16:9 (DRB)

Passage

The heart of man disposeth his way: but the Lord must direct his steps.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:7 When the ways of man shall please the Lord, he will convert even his enemies to peace.

Proverbs 16:8 Better is a little with justice, than great revenues with iniquity.

Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man disposeth his way: but the Lord must direct his steps.

Proverbs 16:10 Divination is in the lips of the king, his mouth shall not err in judgment.

Proverbs 16:11 Weight and balance are judgments of the Lord: and his work all the weights of the bag.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heart", "disposeth", "lord", "must", "direct", and "steps". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heart" and "disposeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "Better is a little with justice than..." into verse 10's "Divination is in the lips of the...", so "heart" and "disposeth" 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 "heart" and "disposeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.