Proverbs 16:24 (GNV)

Passage

Faire wordes are as an hony combe, sweetenesse to the soule, and health to the bones.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:22 Vnderstading is welspring of life vnto them that haue it: and the instruction of fooles is folly.

Proverbs 16:23 The heart of the wise guideth his mouth wisely, and addeth doctrine to his lippes.

Proverbs 16:24 Faire wordes are as an hony combe, sweetenesse to the soule, and health to the bones.

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way that seemeth right vnto man: but the issue thereof are the wayes of death.

Proverbs 16:26 The person that traueileth, traueileth for himselfe: for his mouth craueth it of him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faire", "wordes", "hony", "combe", "sweetenesse", "soule", "health", and "bones". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faire" and "wordes", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "The heart of the wise guideth his..." into verse 25's "There is a way that seemeth right...", so "faire" and "wordes" 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 "faire" and "wordes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.