Proverbs 16:29 (WEB)

Passage

A man of violence entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:27 A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.

Proverbs 16:28 A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends.

Proverbs 16:29 A man of violence entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is not good.

Proverbs 16:30 One who winks his eyes to plot perversities, one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.

Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "violence", "entices", "neighbor", "leads", and "good". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "violence" and "entices", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 28's "A perverse man stirs up strife A..." into verse 30's "One who winks his eyes to plot...", so "violence" and "entices" 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 "violence" and "entices" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.