Passage
All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
Proverbs 16:2 (KJV)
Nearby Context
Proverbs 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
Proverbs 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "Spirit", "ways", "clean", "eyes", "lord", "weigheth", and "spirits". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "ways", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 1's "The preparations of the heart in man..." into verse 3's "Commit thy works unto the LORD and...", so "Spirit" and "ways" 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 "Spirit" and "ways" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.