Proverbs 16:17 (WEB)

Passage

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:15 In the light of the king’s face is life. His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.

Proverbs 16:16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:19 It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to divide the plunder with the proud.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "highway", "upright", "depart", "evil", "keeps", "preserves", and "soul". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "highway" and "upright", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "How much better it is to get..." into verse 18's "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty...", so "highway" and "upright" 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 "highway" and "upright" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.