Proverbs 16:26 (YLT)

Passage

A labouring man hath laboured for himself, For his mouth hath caused <FI>him<Fi> to bend over it.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 16:24 Sayings of pleasantness <FI>are<Fi> a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and healing to the bone.

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way right before a man, And its latter end--ways of death.

Proverbs 16:26 A labouring man hath laboured for himself, For his mouth hath caused <FI>him<Fi> to bend over it.

Proverbs 16:27 A worthless man is preparing evil, And on his lips--as a burning fire.

Proverbs 16:28 A froward man sendeth forth contention, A tale-bearer is separating a familiar friend.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "labouring", "hath", "laboured", "himself", "mouth", "caused", and "bend". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "labouring" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 25's "There is a way right before a..." into verse 27's "A worthless man is preparing evil And...", so "labouring" and "hath" 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 "labouring" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.