Proverbs 16:30 (KJV)

Passage

He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.

Proverbs 16:29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.

Proverbs 16:30 He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.

Proverbs 16:31 The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "shutteth", "eyes", "devise", "froward", "things", "moving", "lips", and "bringeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "shutteth" and "eyes", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 29's "A violent man enticeth his neighbour and..." into verse 31's "The hoary head is a crown of...", so "shutteth" and "eyes" 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 "shutteth" and "eyes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.