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Selected Verse: Proverbs 16:9 - King James
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Pr 16:9 |
King James |
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
(Compare Pro 16:3).
directeth--establisheth. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Deviseth his way - i. e., Thinks it out with anxious care; yet it is the Lord and He only who directs the steps. Compare Pro 16:1. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
9 The heart of man deviseth his way;
But Jahve directeth his steps.
Similar to this is the German proverb: "Der Mensch denkt, Gott lenkt" [= our "man proposes, God disposes"], and the Arabic el-‛abd (העבד = man) judebbir wallah juḳaddir; Latin, homo proponit, Deus disponit; for, as Hitzig rightly remarks, 9b means, not that God maketh his steps firm (Venet., Luther, Umbreit, Bertheau, Elster), but that He gives direction to him (Jerome, dirigere). Man deliberates here and there (חשּׁב, intens. of חשׁב, to calculate, reflect) how he will begin and carry on this or that; but his short-sightedness leaves much out of view which God sees; his calculation does not comprehend many contingencies which God disposes of and man cannot foresee. The result and issue are thus of God, and the best is, that in all his deliberations one should give himself up without self-confidence and arrogance to the guidance of God, that one should do his duty and leave the rest, with humility and confidence, to God. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Deviseth - Proposes what he will do. Directeth - Over - rules and disposes all his designs and actions. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
A man's heart deviseth his way - This is precisely the same sentiment as that contained in the first verse, on the true meaning of which so much has been already said. |
3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.
1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.