Proverbs 16:2 (YLT)

Passage

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, And Jehovah is pondering the spirits.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:1 Of man <FI>are<Fi> arrangements of the heart, And from Jehovah an answer of the tongue.

Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, And Jehovah is pondering the spirits.

Proverbs 16:3 Roll unto Jehovah thy works, And established are thy purposes,

Proverbs 16:4 All things hath Jehovah wrought for Himself, And also the wicked <FI>worketh<Fi> for a day of evil.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "ways", "pure", "eyes", "jehovah", "pondering", and "spirits". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "ways", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Of man FI are Fi arrangements of..." into verse 3's "Roll unto Jehovah thy works And established...", so "Spirit" and "ways" 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 "Spirit" and "ways" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.