Proverbs 17:8 (KJV)

Passage

A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

Proverbs 17:7 Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince.

Proverbs 17:8 A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

Proverbs 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Proverbs 17:10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gift", "precious", "stone", "eyes", "hath", "whithersoever", "turneth", and "prospereth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gift" and "precious", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Excellent speech becometh not a fool much..." into verse 9's "He that covereth a transgression seeketh love...", so "gift" and "precious" 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 "gift" and "precious" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.