Proverbs 16:29 (LSB)

Passage

A man of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:27 A vile man digs up evil, And the words on his lips are like scorching fire.

Proverbs 16:28 A perverse man spreads strife, And a whisperer separates close companions.

Proverbs 16:29 A man of violence entices his neighbor And leads him in a way that is not good.

Proverbs 16:30 He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things; He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of beauty; It is found in the way of righteousness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "violence", "entices", "neighbor", "leads", and "good". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "violence" and "entices", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 28's "A perverse man spreads strife And a..." into verse 30's "He who winks his eyes does so...", so "violence" and "entices" 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 "violence" and "entices" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.