Proverbs 16:20
in Proverbs 16Whoever heeds instruction will find success, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He that giveth heed unto the word shall find good; And whoso trusteth in Jehovah, happy is he.
KJV
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he.
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This verse in Proverbs 16
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Good as it is to “handle a matter wisely,” it is far better to “trust in the Lord.” The former is really impossible except through the latter.
This site's exposition
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good
on Proverbs 16:20-21
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good, and whoso trusteth in the Lord is called happy, wisdom and trust named together as if the second explains the first. The wise in heart shall be called prudent, a reputation earned rather than claimed, and the sweetness of the lips increases learning, since a pleasant teacher keeps students a harsh one would lose. Henry reads both verses as proof that wisdom is as much a manner as a body of knowledge.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Instructed in the word he will find good, etc. Not only will he who is instructed for preaching the word of the Lord find good with Him, but also he who has learned to place his hope in the Lord, even if he is not …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
WISDOM is man's true path—that which enables him to accomplish best the end of his being, and which, therefore, gives to him the richest enjoyment, and the fullest play for all his powers. Wisdom is the compass by which man is to steer across the trackless waste of life. Without wisdom man is as the wild asses' colt; he runs here and there, wasting strength which might be profitably employed.
WISDOM is man's true path—that which enables him to accomplish best the end of his being, and which, therefore, gives to him the richest enjoyment, and the fullest play for all his powers. Wisdom is the compass by which man is to steer across the trackless waste of life. Without wisdom man is as the wild asses' colt; he runs here and there, wasting strength which might be profitably employed. Without wisdom, man may be compared to a soil untilled which may yield some fair flowers, but can never field a harvest which shall repay the labor of the reaper, or even the toil of the gleaner. Give man wisdom—wisdom in the true sense of the term—and he rises to all the dignity that manhood can possibly know; he becomes a fit companion for the angels, and between him and God there is no creature; he stands next to the Eternal One, because Christ has espoused his nature, and so has linked humanity with Divinity! But where shall this wisdom be found? Many have dreamed that they discovered it, but they have not possessed it. Where shall we find it? It were worth while to pierce the deep of the earth, to scale the heights of Heaven, to traverse the deserts, to plow the sea, to fly through the illimitable fields of ether—all were too little if we might but find this precious thing at last! "But," the depth says, "It is not in me." And the sea says, "It is not with me." It cannot be had for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. The gold and the crystal cannot equal it—and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls—for the price of wisdom is above rubies! The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it—neither shall it be valued with pure gold.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מַשְׂכִּ֣יל | maskil | [one who] gives attention | H7919 → | 62 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| דָּ֭בָר | davor | a word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| יִמְצָא־ | yimtza'- | he finds | H4672 → | 455 times |
| ט֑וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| וּבוֹטֵ֖חַ | uvoteach | and [one who] trusts | H982 → | 120 times |
| בַּיהוָ֣ה | bayahweh | in Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אַשְׁרָֽיו׃ | ʾashrav | how blessed [is] he | H835 → | 45 times |
מַשְׂכִּ֣יל[one who] gives attention
maskilH7919 →62 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
דָּ֭בָרa word
davorH1697 →1440 times
יִמְצָא־he finds
yimtza'-H4672 →455 times
ט֑וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
וּבוֹטֵ֖חַand [one who] trusts
uvoteachH982 →120 times
בַּיהוָ֣הin Yahweh
bayahwehH3068 →6520 times
אַשְׁרָֽיו׃how blessed [is] he
ʾashravH835 →45 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 34:8Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
it leads to
- Psalms 119:103
How sweet are Your words to my taste— sweeter than honey in my mouth!
- Hebrews 6:4–5
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
- 1 Peter 2:2–3
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
- Jeremiah 31:14
I will fill the souls of the priests abundantly, and will fill My people with My goodness,” declares the LORD.
- Psalms 63:5
My soul is satisfied as with the richest of foods; with joyful lips my mouth will praise You.
- Psalms 119:103
Through
Isaiah 30:18Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He rises to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God. Blessed are all who wait for Him.
it leads to
- Lamentations 3:25–26
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
- 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
- Psalms 34:8
Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Lamentations 3:25–26
Where this verse is studied
About Proverbs
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 392: “Trust In God—True Wisdom” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.