Proverbs 22:29 (KJV)

Passage

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

Proverbs 22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

Proverbs 22:29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "seest", "thou", "diligent", "business", "shall", "stand", "before", and "kings". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "seest" and "thou", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The prior verse says "Remove not the ancient landmark which thy...", giving immediate footing for "seest" and "thou". In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "seest" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.