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Monday, April 28th, 2025
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Proverbs 20:5

Getting information from someone can be like getting water from a deep well. If you are smart, you will draw it out.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Cross-Questioning;   Prudence;   The Topic Concordance - Counsel;   Understanding;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Flattery;   Water;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Purpose;   Water;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;  

Encyclopedias:

- The Jewish Encyclopedia - Deep;   Well;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Counsel in a person’s heart is deep water;but a person of understanding draws it out.
Hebrew Names Version
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out.
King James Version
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
English Standard Version
The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
New American Standard Bible
A plan in the heart of a person is like deep water, But a person of understanding draws it out.
New Century Version
People's thoughts can be like a deep well, but someone with understanding can find the wisdom there.
Amplified Bible
A plan (motive, wise counsel) in the heart of a man is like water in a deep well, But a man of understanding draws it out.
World English Bible
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The counsell in the heart of man is like deepe waters: but a man that hath vnderstanding, will drawe it out.
Legacy Standard Bible
Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water,But a man of discernment draws it out.
Berean Standard Bible
The intentions of a man's heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.
Contemporary English Version
Someone's thoughts may be as deep as the ocean, but if you are smart, you will discover them.
Complete Jewish Bible
The heart's real intentions are like deep water; but a person with discernment draws them out.
Darby Translation
Counsel in the heart of man is deep water, and a man of understanding draweth it out.
George Lamsa Translation
The counsel in a kings heart is deep; but a wise man will draw it out.
Good News Translation
A person's thoughts are like water in a deep well, but someone with insight can draw them out.
Lexham English Bible
Deep waters are like purpose in the heart of a man, and a man of understanding will draw it out.
Literal Translation
Counsel in a man's heart is like deep water, and a man of understanding will draw it out.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wyse councell in the herte of man is like a water in the depe of the earth, but he that hath vnderstondinge, bryngeth it forth.
American Standard Version
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out.
Bible in Basic English
The purpose in the heart of a man is like deep water, but a man of good sense will get it out.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
King James Version (1611)
Counsell in the heart of man is like deepe water: but a man of vnderstanding will draw it out.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Counsayle in the heart of man is like deepe water: but a man of vnderstanding wyll drawe it out.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Counsel in a man’s heart is deep water; but a prudent man will draw it out.
English Revised Version
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
As deep watir, so counsel is in the herte of a man; but a wijs man schal drawe it out.
Update Bible Version
Counsel in the heart of man is [like] deep water; But a man of understanding will draw it out.
Webster's Bible Translation
Counsel in the heart of man [is like] deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.
New English Translation
Counsel in a person's heart is like deep water, but an understanding person draws it out.
New King James Version
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out.
New Living Translation
Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out.
New Life Bible
The plan in a man's heart is like water in a deep well, but a man of understanding gets it out.
New Revised Standard
The purposes in the human mind are like deep water, but the intelligent will draw them out.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Deep water, is counsel in a man's heart, but, a man of understanding, will draw it out.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water: but a wise man will draw it out.
Revised Standard Version
The purpose in a man's mind is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
Young's Literal Translation
Counsel in the heart of a man [is] deep water, And a man of understanding draweth it up.
THE MESSAGE
Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
A plan in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of understanding draws it out.

Contextual Overview

5 Getting information from someone can be like getting water from a deep well. If you are smart, you will draw it out.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 18:4, Psalms 64:6, 1 Corinthians 2:11

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 20:12 - sounded Ezra 8:16 - men of understanding Romans 8:39 - depth

Cross-References

Joshua 22:22
"The Lord is our God! Again we say that the Lord is our God! And God knows why we did this thing. We want you to know also. You can judge what we did. If you think we did it because we are against the Lord or refuse to obey him, you can kill us today.
1 Kings 9:4
You must serve me with a pure and honest heart, just as your father David did. You must obey my laws and do everything that I commanded you.
2 Kings 20:3
" Lord , remember that I have sincerely served you with all my heart. I have done what you say is good." Then Hezekiah cried very hard.
1 Chronicles 29:17
My God, I know that you test people, and that you are happy when people do what is right. I gladly give you all these things with a pure, honest heart. I see your people gathered here, and I see that they are happy about giving these things to you.
Job 33:9
‘I am pure and innocent; I did nothing wrong; I am not guilty!
Psalms 7:8
Lord , judge the people. Lord , judge me. Prove that I am right and that I am innocent.
Psalms 24:4
Only those who have not done evil, who have pure hearts, who have not used my name to hide their lies, and who have not made false promises.
Psalms 25:21
You are good and do what is right. I trust you to protect me.
Psalms 26:6
Lord , I wash my hands to make myself pure, so that I can come to your altar.
Psalms 73:13
Clearly, then, I gain nothing by keeping my thoughts pure! What good is it to keep myself from sin?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Counsel in the heart of man [is like] deep water,.... Pure and undisturbed, but secret, hidden, and hard to be come at: such are the things of the spirit of a man, the thoughts of his mind, the devices of his heart; which, though easily known by the searcher of hearts, are not easily penetrated into by men; or it is not easily got out of them what is in them, especially in some men, who are very close and reserved. This is true of wicked men, who seek sleep to hide their counsel; and of good men, especially studious men, who have got a great deal of wisdom and knowledge in them, but not very communicative, being slow of speech, and silent in conversation;

but a man of understanding will draw it out; he will find ways and means to discover the secret designs of wicked men, whether against church or state; and, by asking proper questions, an understanding man will get out useful things from men of knowledge, the most reserved: some men must be pumped, and a good deal of pains must be taken with them, to get out anything of them, as in getting water out of a deep well, and which when got is very good; and so is that wisdom and knowledge which is gotten by an inquisitive man from another of superior knowledge, but not very diffusive of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The contest between reticence on the one side and pertinacity in search on the other is represented as by a parable. The well may be very deep (compare the marginal reference), but the man of understanding” has enough skill to draw up the water even to the last drop. Every question is, as it were, a turning of the windlass.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 20:5. Counsel in the heart of man — Men of the deepest and most comprehensive minds are rarely apt, unsolicited, to join in any discourse, in which they might appear even to the greatest advantage; but a man of understanding will elicit this, by questions framed for the purpose, and thus pump up the salubrious waters from the deep and capacious well. The metaphor is fine and expressive.


 
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