Proverbs 15:23 (KJV)

Passage

A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

Nearby Context

Proverbs 15:21 Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly.

Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

Proverbs 15:23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!

Proverbs 15:24 The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

Proverbs 15:25 The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hath", "answer", "mouth", "word", "spoken", "season", and "good". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hath" and "answer", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "Without counsel purposes are disappointed but in..." into verse 24's "The way of life is above to...", so "hath" and "answer" 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 "hath" and "answer" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.