--- title: "Proverbs 16 - Study King James Bible with clarkes commentary" description: "Read Proverbs 16 with clarkes commentary commentary. 1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. 2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD we" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/16" --- [ Read](/kjv/proverbs/16)[ Commentary](/study/proverbs/16)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/proverbs/16) Audio 1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, *is* from the LORD.* 2 All the ways of a man *are* clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. 3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.* 4 The LORD hath made all *things* for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. 5 Every one *that is* proud in heart *is* an abomination to the LORD: *though* hand *join* in hand, he shall not be unpunished.* 6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD *men* depart from evil. 7 When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. 8 Better *is* a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. 9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. 10 A divine sentence *is* in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.* 11 A just weight and balance *are* the LORD’s: all the weights of the bag *are* his work.* 12 *It is* an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. 13 Righteous lips *are* the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right. 14 The wrath of a king *is as* messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it. 15 In the light of the king’s countenance *is* life; and his favour *is* as a cloud of the latter rain. 16 How much better *is it* to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! 17 The highway of the upright *is* to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. 18 Pride *goeth* before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. 19 Better *it is to be* of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. 20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy *is* he.* 21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. 22 Understanding *is* a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools *is* folly. 23 The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.* 24 Pleasant words *are as* an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. 25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof *are* the ways of death. 26 He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.** 27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips *there is* as a burning fire.* 28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.* 29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way *that is* not good. 30 He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass. 31 The hoary head *is* a crown of glory, *if* it be found in the way of righteousness. 32 *He that is* slow to anger *is* better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. 33 The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof *is* of the LORD. [Proverbs 15](/study/proverbs/15) [Proverbs 17](/study/proverbs/17) ## Commentary To verse 1 Verse [Proverbs 16:1](/kjv/proverbs/16/1). ***The preparations of the heart in man*** — The Hebrew is לאדם מערכי לב *leadam maarchey leb*, which is, literally, "To man are the dispositions of the heart; but from the Lord is the answer of the tongue." Man proposes his wishes; but God answers as he thinks proper. The former is the free offspring of the heart of man; the latter, the free volition of God. Man may *think* as he pleases, and *ask* as he lists; but God will *give*, or *not give*, as he thinks proper. This I believe to be the *meaning* of this shamefully tortured passage, so often vexed by critics, their doubts, and indecisions. God help them! for they seldom have the faculty of making any subject *plainer*! The text does not say that the "preparations," rather *dispositions* or *arrangements*, מערכי maarchey, "of the heart," as well as "the answer of the tongue, *is* from the Lord;" though it is generally understood so; but it states that the *dispositions* or *schemes* of the heart (are) man's; but the answer of the tongue (is) the Lord's. And so the principal *versions* have understood it. Hominis est animam preparare; et Domini gubernare linguam. - VULGATE. "It is the part of man to prepare his soul: it is the prerogative of the Lord to govern the tongue." מן בר נש תרעיתא דלבא ומן יי ממללא דלישנא min bar nash taritha *delibba; umin yeya mamlala delishana*. - CHALDEE. "From the son of man is the counsel of the heart; and from the Lord is the word of the tongue." The SYRIAC is the same. καρδια ανδρος λογζεσθω δικαια, Ἱνα ὑπο του θεου διορθωθῃ τα διαβηματα αυτῃ. - SEPTUAGINT. "The heart of man deviseth righteous things, that its goings may be directed by God." The ARABIC takes great latitude: "All the works of an humble man are clean before the Lord; and the wicked shall perish in an evil day." *Of a man is to maken redy the inwitt: and of the Lorde to* *governe the tunge*. - Old MS. Bible. "A man maye well purpose a thinge in his harte: but the answere of the tonge cometh of the Lorde. - COVERDALE. MATTHEW'S Bible, 1549, and BECKE'S Bible of the same date, and CARDMARDEN'S of 1566, follow *Coverdale*. The Bible printed by *R.* *Barker*, at Cambridge, 4to., 1615, commonly called the *Breeches* *Bible*, reads the text thus: - "The preparations of the hart are in man; but the answere of the tongue *is* of the Lord." So that it appears that our *first*, and all our *ancient versions*, understood the text in the same way; and this, independently of critical torture, is the genuine meaning of the *Hebrew text*. That very valuable version published in *Italian*, at Geneva, fol. 1562, translates thus: Le dispositioni del cuore sono de l'huomo, ma la risposta del la lingua e dal Signore. "The dispositions of the heart are of man; but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." The *modern European versions*, as far as I have seen, are the same. And when the word *dispositions, arrangements, schemes*, is understood to be the proper meaning of the *Hebrew term*, as shown above, the sense is *perfectly sound*; for there may be a *thousand* *schemes* and *arrangements* made in the heart of man which he may earnestly wish God to bring to full effect, that are neither for *his good* nor *God's glory*; and therefore it is his interest that God has the *answer* in his own power. At the same time, there is no intimation here that *man can prepare his own heart to wait upon,* *or pray unto the Lord*; or that from the *human heart* any thing *good* can come, *without Divine influence*; but simply that he may have many *schemes* and *projects* which he may beg God to accomplish, that are not of *God*, but from *himself*. Hence our own proverb: "Man proposes, but God disposes." I have entered the more particularly into the consideration of this text, because some are very strenuous in the support of our vicious reading, from a supposition that the other defends the *heterodox* opinion of *man's* *sufficiency* to think any thing *as of himself*. But while they deserve due credit for their orthodox caution, they will see that no such imputation can fairly lie against the plain grammatical translation of the Hebrew text. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/16#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","width":672,"height":448,"caption":"Real Bible Believers"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/16#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/16","name":"Proverbs 16 - Study King James Bible with clarkes commentary","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/16#primaryimage"},"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Read Proverbs 16 with clarkes commentary commentary. 1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. 2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD we","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/16#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/16"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/16#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","name":"Study Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary","name":"clarkes commentary"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs","name":"Proverbs"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/16","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/16","name":"16"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]} ```