Proverbs 3:27 (DRB)

Passage

Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 3:25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the power of the wicked falling upon thee.

Proverbs 3:26 For the Lord will be at thy side, and will keep thy foot that thou be not taken.

Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.

Proverbs 3:28 Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and to morrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.

Proverbs 3:29 Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "withhold", "doing", "good", "able", "thou", and "thyself". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "withhold" and "doing", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "For the Lord will be at thy..." into verse 28's "Say not to thy friend Go and...", so "withhold" and "doing" 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 "withhold" and "doing" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.