The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
Parallel translations
- WEB The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
- BSB The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life.
- NKJV The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
- NASB The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil; One who watches his way protects his life.
- NLT The path of the virtuous leads away from evil; whoever follows that path is safe.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The upright travel a clear road that turns away from evil, and guarding that path guards one's life. It matters because watchful, intentional avoidance of evil preserves the soul.
Overview
This proverb describes the way of the upright as a highway whose purpose is departure from evil. Carefully keeping to this path protects one's very life. It calls for vigilance in holiness and points to the life of discipleship, in which believers are kept by God as they walk in His ways.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Isa 35:8And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
- Prov 10:9He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
- Prov 19:16He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.
- Prov 4:24–27Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
- Titus 2:10–14Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
- Jude 1:21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
- Rev 3:10Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
- Heb 10:39But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
- Acts 10:35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
- Matt 24:13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
- Acts 24:16And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
- Jude 1:24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 16:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.