All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.
Parallel translations
- WEB All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but Yahweh weighs the motives.
- BSB All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.
- NKJV All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.
- NASB All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight, But the Lord examines the motives.
- NLT People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.
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
People justify their own conduct, but God examines their true motives. It matters because self-perception is unreliable; only the Lord rightly judges the heart.
Overview
The proverb exposes our tendency toward self-justification, seeing our ways as clean while God weighs the inner spirit. We are prone to deceive ourselves about our motives. This drives us to humility and to the gospel, since only God's verdict counts and only in Christ are sinners truly cleansed (Jeremiah 17:9-10).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Prov 21:2Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
- 1 Sam 16:7But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
- Luke 16:15And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
- Prov 30:12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
- Jer 17:10I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
- Prov 24:12If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?
- Ps 36:2For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
- Prov 16:25There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
- Prov 5:21For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
- Luke 18:9–11And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
- Jer 2:22–23For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.
- Dan 5:27TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
- Rev 2:23And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
- 1 Sam 15:13–14And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.
- Rom 7:7–9What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
- Isa 26:7The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.
- Rev 2:18And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
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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 16:2 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
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