Proverbs 18:16 (YLT)

Passage

The gift of a man maketh room for him, And before the great it leadeth him.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:14 The spirit of a man sustaineth his sickness, And a smitten spirit who doth bear?

Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the intelligent getteth knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

Proverbs 18:16 The gift of a man maketh room for him, And before the great it leadeth him.

Proverbs 18:17 Righteous <FI>is<Fi> the first in his own cause, His neighbour cometh and hath searched him.

Proverbs 18:18 The lot causeth contentions to cease, And between the mighty it separateth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gift", "maketh", "room", "before", "great", and "leadeth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gift" and "maketh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "The heart of the intelligent getteth knowledge..." into verse 17's "Righteous FI is Fi the first in...", so "gift" and "maketh" 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 "gift" and "maketh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.