Proverbs 16:28 (YLT)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Proverbs 16:29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, And hath causeth him to go in a way not good.

Proverbs 16:30 Consulting his eyes to devise froward things, Moving his lips he hath accomplished evil.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "froward", "sendeth", "forth", "contention", "tale-bearer", "separating", "familiar", and "friend". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "froward" and "sendeth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "A worthless man is preparing evil And..." into verse 29's "A violent man enticeth his neighbour And...", so "froward" and "sendeth" 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 "froward" and "sendeth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.