Proverbs 22:12 (GNV)

Passage

The eyes of the Lord preserue knowledge: but hee ouerthroweth the wordes of the transgressour.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:10 Cast out the scorner, and strife shall go out: so contention and reproche shall cease.

Proverbs 22:11 Hee that loueth purenesse of heart for the grace of his lippes, the King shalbe his friend.

Proverbs 22:12 The eyes of the Lord preserue knowledge: but hee ouerthroweth the wordes of the transgressour.

Proverbs 22:13 The slouthfull man saith, A lyon is without, I shall be slaine in the streete.

Proverbs 22:14 The mouth of strage women is as a deepe pit: he with whom the Lord is angry, shall fall therein.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "eyes", "lord", "preserue", "knowledge", "ouerthroweth", "wordes", and "transgressour". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "eyes" and "lord", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Hee that loueth purenesse of heart for..." into verse 13's "The slouthfull man saith A lyon is...", so "eyes" and "lord" 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 "eyes" and "lord" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.