Proverbs 16:17 (LSB)

Passage

The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; He who guards his way keeps his soul.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:15 In the light of a king’s face is life, And his favor is like a cloud with the late rain.

Proverbs 16:16 How much better it is to acquire wisdom than fine gold! And to acquire understanding is to be chosen above silver.

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; He who guards his way keeps his soul.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.

Proverbs 16:19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "highway", "upright", "turn", "away", "evil", "guards", "keeps", and "soul". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "highway" and "upright", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "How much better it is to acquire..." into verse 18's "Pride goes before destruction And a haughty...", so "highway" and "upright" 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 "highway" and "upright" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.