Proverbs 16:1–3

Context

In the book of Proverbs, 10:1–22:16 is a collection of short sayings under the heading "The proverbs of Solomon." The opening portion of chapter 16 (vv. 1–9) gathers sayings that mention the LORD. These verses share a common theme: they set human plans, actions, and words against God's judgment and rule. Verses 1 and 2 follow a contrasting pattern: "Man does …, but the LORD does …." Verse 3 is an exhortation that flows from that contrast. Verse 9 ("A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps") and Proverbs 19:21 express the same idea.

Interpretation

• A providence-centered reading: Presbyterian and Reformed interpreters in the Calvinist tradition read this passage as a text that displays God's providence (God's care for and guidance of the world and human affairs). Although people make plans, the actual outcome is determined within God's will.
• A reading that holds responsibility and trust together: Methodist and Holiness interpreters in the Arminian and Wesleyan theology traditions also affirm God's rule. They emphasize, however, that the passage does not negate human planning and effort. The responsibility to plan rests with people, and what is required is a disposition to entrust those plans to God.
• A reading as wisdom literature: Many commentators regard the passage not as fatalism but as a saying that teaches humility. Verse 2 is understood to mean that God examines, as if "weighing" them, the motives people consider right in their own eyes. Read this way, verse 2 serves as a warning against self-assurance.

Questions of Application

• The meaning of verse 1: There are two views of what "the answer of the tongue" refers to. One takes it to mean that the final outcome of a matter depends on God. The other takes it to mean that the very ability to speak a fitting word comes from God. Both the New Korean Revised Version and the New Korean Standard Version retain the expression "the answer of the tongue."
• "Commit" in verse 3: The Hebrew verb translated "commit" in verse 3 is generally understood to mean "to roll." It is therefore explained as a call to entrust oneself completely, as one would roll a burden onto another.
• The problem of reading it as a promise of success: Verse 3 is sometimes read as a promise that one's plans will surely succeed if only they are committed to God. Some object that this reading ignores the context. This objection also ties into broader critiques of prosperity theology. Critics hold that when verses 1–2 and verse 9 are read together, what is established is not so much a person's original plan as a plan refined before God.

In the Korean Church

Verse 3 is frequently chosen as a New Year's motto verse and is often cited at business-opening services and in prayers of blessing for those about to advance to a new school or begin a job. It is also often paired with verse 9.

Related Passages

• Proverbs 16:9
• Proverbs 19:21
• Proverbs 21:2
• Psalm 37:5
• James 4:13–15