Proverbs 27:19 (YLT)

Passage

As <FI>in<Fi> water the face <FI>is<Fi> to face, So the heart of man to man.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 27:17 Iron by iron is sharpened, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

Proverbs 27:18 The keeper of a fig-tree eateth its fruit, And the preserver of his master is honoured.

Proverbs 27:19 As <FI>in<Fi> water the face <FI>is<Fi> to face, So the heart of man to man.

Proverbs 27:20 Sheol and destruction are not satisfied, And the eyes of man are not satisfied.

Proverbs 27:21 A refining pot <FI>is<Fi> for silver, and a furnace for gold, And a man according to his praise.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "water", "face", and "heart". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "water" and "face", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 18's "The keeper of a fig-tree eateth its..." into verse 20's "Sheol and destruction are not satisfied And...", so "water" and "face" 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 "water" and "face" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.