Proverbs 16:2 (GNV)

Passage

All the wayes of a man are cleane in his owne eyes: but the Lord pondereth the spirits.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:1 The preparations of the heart are in man: but the answere of the tongue is of the Lord.

Proverbs 16:2 All the wayes of a man are cleane in his owne eyes: but the Lord pondereth the spirits.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy workes vnto the Lord, and thy thoughts shalbe directed.

Proverbs 16:4 The Lord hath made all things for his owne sake: yea, euen the wicked for the day of euill.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "wayes", "cleane", "owne", "eyes", "lord", "pondereth", and "spirits". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "wayes", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "The preparations of the heart are in..." into verse 3's "Commit thy workes vnto the Lord and...", so "Spirit" and "wayes" 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 "Spirit" and "wayes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.