Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Proverbs 16:24

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Proverbs 16:24. Pleasant words are as a honey-comb — The honey of which is sweeter than that which has been expressed from it, and has a much finer flavour before it has come in contact with the atmospheric air.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Laying plans and making decisions (16:1-33)

A person may make plans, but God is the one who determines their outcome. He knows the person’s unseen motives and controls events according to his purposes. It is important, therefore, always to bring God into one’s planning (16:1-4). God punishes the arrogant but has mercy on those who fear him (5-6). He protects them from harm and guides them on the right pathway (7-9).
When a king’s wisdom comes from God, his decisions will be right. He will show no partiality but will punish evil, commend good, and insist that all trading practices be fair and honest (10-15). The person who is truly rich is not the one who has money, but the one who is wise, upright, humble, obedient and faithful (16-20).
Pleasant speech is not hypocritical if it springs from a pure heart. It benefits the speakers for it gives their words persuasiveness, and it benefits the hearers for it improves their minds (21-24). People can readily deceive themselves, but they cannot escape the plain fact that if they do not work they will go hungry (25-26). In contrast to the pleasant speech just mentioned, abusive speech, whispering and sly scheming create only trouble (27-30). Living uprightly guarantees honour in old age; controlling one’s passions guarantees strength; referring matters to God guarantees right decisions (31-33).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."

"Friendly conversation is agreeable and useful. It relaxes the mind, dispels anxiety, provides information, promotes mutual love and kindness, and enables us to return to life's business with renewed vigor."George Lawson's Commentary on Proverbs (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1980), p. 247

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Honey took its place not only among the luxuries, but among the medicines of the Israelites. This two-fold use made it all the more suitable to be an emblem both of the true Wisdom which is also true obedience, and of the “pleasant words” in which that Wisdom speaks.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Shall we turn now to Proverbs 16:1-33 , the sixteenth chapter and begin our study this evening.

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD ( Proverbs 16:1 ).

God works in our lives even when we're not aware of it. If we're a child of God, God is continually working in our lives. It's amazing how many times we say things that we don't realize that at the time we are saying it, but actually it's a word from the Lord. It just comes up. God prepares your heart. The preparations of the heart, they're from God. In Philippians we read, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God that is working in you both to will and to do" ( Philippians 2:12-13 ). You see, God is planting now His law in the fleshly tablets of our heart, even as He promised to Jeremiah. "The day will come when I will no longer write my law on the tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of their heart." So God plants His Word, God plants His desires right in your heart, so the preparations of the heart are from the Lord. How great it is to be a child of God and to have your life submitted to the Lord so that the Lord is directing from that just inner kind of desires and all that He plants within your own heart.

Second proverb:

All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weighs the spirits ( Proverbs 16:2 ).

Now no matter what a guy does, it's right. "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes." You can justify everything you've done. We're so full of excuses. "I did it because... " Even if it's wrong, we got a good reason or at least a good excuse. Of course, Benjamin Franklin said the man who is good with excuses is seldom good for anything else. "The ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but God weighs the spirits." Now God knows the motives. God knows why I did it, the motive behind it, and that's what's important.

Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established ( Proverbs 16:3 ).

So many times we're worried that we haven't done enough. And probably correct. However, when we look at our service to God, we so often say, "Oh, but, you know, I should have done such a better job. You know, I... " Could you have done a better job? "No. I did the best I could." Well, that's all God expects. God doesn't expect more from you than what you can actually produce. So you've got to commit your works unto the Lord. Do your best and then just commit the rest. And your thoughts will be established.

"Well, you know, Lord, that's the best I can do. Sorry You have to use this kind of instrument to do Your work, Lord, but that's the way it is and that's all I can do." And I don't go home and worry, "Oh, could I have done this? Could I have done that? Oh, I should have done this. I should have done that." You just do your best and then you just place the rest in His hands. Your thoughts are then established. You rest. "Well, Lord, here it is, such as it is the best I can do." And you just commit your work to the Lord and your thoughts then are established. Just resting. Best I could do. "God, you know, use it if you can. It's my best."

This is an interesting and yet a difficult proverb to understand.

The LORD has made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil ( Proverbs 16:4 ).

Now the word evil, of course, is a reference to the judgment that is coming. There is a scripture in Isaiah that has brought a lot of problems to people, where God has declared that He has created evil. And they say, "Oh, how could God create evil?" The word actually is judgments. God has created the judgments that come upon the evil. So, "The Lord has made all things for Himself." "Thou has created all things, and for thy good pleasure they are and were created" ( Revelation 4:11 ). And God has even created the evil or the wicked. Now God didn't create them wicked, but He created wicked people. Can you catch the difference?

God created people; some of them are wicked. They don't have to be, but they are. God created them. You can't deny the fact that God created them. So in a sense, you can say God created the wicked. He didn't create them wicked, but He created the wicked. They became wicked. God created them. And He has actually created also the judgments that shall come upon those wicked persons.

Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD ( Proverbs 16:5 ):

One of those, another one of those which God has a lot of things that are an abomination to Him. Again, you need to take your concordance and go through the book of Proverbs and go through this word abomination and find out how many things are an abomination unto God. Now, I don't know exactly what an abomination is, but it sounds bad. And I know I don't want to be one.

Now, "The proud in heart are an abomination to the Lord." Oh, that pride. What a destroyer it is. We'll get to that in a minute.

and though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished ( Proverbs 16:5 ).

This "hand in hand" again, the striking of the hand, making a deal, it's usually a... in this case, joining hand in hand for strength, yet you can't escape the punishment.

By mercy and truth iniquity is cleansed ( Proverbs 16:6 ):

God's mercy and God's truth. You remember John in the opening remarks concerning Jesus Christ said, "For the law came by Moses, but grace and truth by Jesus Christ" ( John 1:17 ). Of course, grace and mercy are sister kind of words. Mercy and truth. Grace and truth. "By mercy and truth iniquity is cleansed."

and by the fear [or the reverence] of the LORD men depart from evil ( Proverbs 16:6 ).

Now the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. And so here, "By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil." There is a tremendous inconsistency; John points it out in his first epistle. He said, "He that saith he hath fellowship with God and walketh in darkness is lying" ( 1 John 1:6 ). He isn't telling the truth. You cannot walk in fellowship with God and have a desire and a love for evil. "By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil."

When a man's ways please the LORD, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him ( Proverbs 16:7 ).

Thus, really the goal of each of our lives is and should be to be pleasing to God. Not what pleases you. Now usually we use as our standard, is it right or is it wrong? And trying to measure... and this was, of course, the mistake that the religious leaders in Judaism made concerning the law. Now what constitutes bearing a burden on the Sabbath day? What if you had false teeth? If you put your false teeth on on the Sabbath day, that means you're bearing a burden, doesn't it? You're carrying something that isn't natural to you. What about if you have a wooden leg? Sure, that's a burden so you can't put it on on the Sabbath day. And all of these little fine points, you know, they're trying to tune the fine points of right and wrong.

You can throw all of that out the window. The real question is: is it pleasing to God? Is God pleased with it? Because you may sit down and rationalize that a particular action, a particular thing that you want to do, you may rationalize and say, "Well, sure, look, it's all right," and give all of your rationale for why it's right. But it may not be pleasing to God. So really the rightness or the wrongness of a particular action isn't what really matters. What really matters is, does it really please the Lord? My life, I desire that my life be pleasing. Jesus said, "I do always those things that please the Father" ( John 8:29 ). Now, if you use that as your standard, you won't have to worry about right or wrong. You won't have to sit and examine the thing to see if it's really right or really wrong. Hey, does it please God? That's where it's at. "When a man's ways please the Lord, then the Lord makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."

Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right ( Proverbs 16:8 ).

"A little that a righteous man hath is greater riches than many wicked" ( Psalms 37:16 ). Same concept.

A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps ( Proverbs 16:9 ).

How many times our plans have been changed by the Lord. We've decided we're going to do something, and God throws the monkey wrench in and stops us. I'm always sensitive to interruptions. Maybe God is trying to stop me. You know, the man who is expecting to be disturbed is the man who is never disturbed when disturbances come. If you are open to God and you think, "Well, Lord, any time I'm heading down a path You don't want, You just stop me." Therefore, I am expecting to be disturbed. Therefore, when the disturbance comes, it doesn't disturb me, because my life and my steps are committed to the Lord.

So we devise something in our heart, but God directs our steps. And I want it that way. I don't want to do my own will. I don't want to fulfill my own purposes. I want God to stop me whenever I am getting out of line and doing something that isn't from Him and directed by Him. I want the Lord to interrupt me. I want God to disturb me. I want God to direct my steps.

A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment ( Proverbs 16:10 ).

Now herein, of course, is a beautiful situation. When the king is a godly king, then God will direct his mouth, his lips and place, actually, God's sentences within his lips. And his mouth will not transgress. Will be faithful in judgment.

A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are his work ( Proverbs 16:11 ).

Now, again, we'll get another proverb that deals with this pretty soon. All of their merchandising was done with the balanced scales. And so they would have little bags of weights. And the crooked merchant would have two bags of weights, divers weights: one that they would sell with, and one that they would buy with. So butchers have had their thumbs on the scales for years. Goes back to the time of Proverbs. Where in the balancing, they would use one set of weights to buy, and they would use another bag of weights to sell. It's an abomination unto the Lord. False balances, an abomination unto God. But the true, honest in business. "A just weight and balance are the Lord's, and all the weights of the bag are His work."

It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness ( Proverbs 16:12 ).

So those who are in leadership actually have a greater responsibility before God.

Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaks right. The wrath of the king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it. In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favor is as a cloud of the latter rain ( Proverbs 16:13-15 ).

So here we have four proverbs that are related to each other because they all deal with kings. And inasmuch as none of you are kings, I don't know, maybe you are. You're the King's kids.

Now Solomon declares:

How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! ( Proverbs 16:16 )

You remember when he started out, God said to Solomon, "Ask of Me whatever you desire," and Solomon prayed for wisdom. And God said, "In that you have asked for wisdom, you've asked for a good thing. And I will grant unto you wisdom. But I will also grant unto you that which you did not ask: riches and so forth." And so wisdom, understanding, these are more valuable than gold, treasure, silver.

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: and he that keeps his way preserveth his soul ( Proverbs 16:17 ).

Then one that is very familiar, but so often misquoted. How many times you've heard people say, "Pride goeth before a fall." That's not a scripture. This is the scripture from which that quotation is taken, but it is misquoted.

Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall ( Proverbs 16:18 ).

So pride goes before destruction. That haughty spirit, going to be brought down. "Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord, He shall lift thee up" ( James 4:10 ). "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted; he that exalteth himself shall be abased" ( Matthew 23:12 ).

Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud ( Proverbs 16:19 ).

So a couple of them that deal with pride and humility.

He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he ( Proverbs 16:20 ).

How neat it is to just have your trust in the Lord. Happy man. You're not really disturbed by the circumstances of life. My trust is in God. Happy is he.

The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly ( Proverbs 16:21-22 ).

So understanding. "With all of thy getting, get understanding" ( Proverbs 4:7 ), David said to Solomon. It's a wellspring of life to him who has it. Oh God, grant to us a better understanding. I think to have understanding is so important, because I think it is the key to compassion. There are many people in many circumstances in which we find it difficult to be compassionate.

In operating summer camps, which I did for years and years, you get those kids that are just behavioral problems. I've had the counselors come in and say, "You better get that kid out of my group or I'm going to kill him. He's horrible. You know, he's just screaming at night and always creating problems. I can't stand that kid. Get him out of there before you have to carry him out. Going to do something rash." And so I'll bring the little kid in and I'll sit him down and, of course, you know, he has to go to Chuck. And he comes in all trembling, and you know here he is. Like I'm going to be a monster. And I'll go over and buy him an ice cream bar and sit him down and start talking, asking him, you know, about his home, about his background. Little kid will start unfolding the story how his dad, he never sees him. Doesn't know where he is. Comes home, his mom's usually drunk. Different men in the house who yell at him and tell him to get out of there, and all this kind of stuff. Man, you get the background stories of some of these little guys and you can't believe it! It's horrible. And then I'll call the counselor back in and I said, "Do you realize that this is what happens when this little kid goes home and this is what the situation is?" "Oh, wow." We have a whole changed attitude towards him. Now you understand why he's fighting everybody. Man, this little kid has to fight for survival. And as you understand now the background, now you can have compassion, and now you can deal with him, and now you can minister to him.

Understanding is such an important thing. Ezekiel said, "I sat where they sat" ( Ezekiel 3:15 ). And you really need to sit in another man's place for a while to really understand that other person. I think one of the keys to relationship is to put yourself in the other person's position. We have so many labor problems. Well, if you could reverse roles, if management could sit where labor is, and if labor could sit where management is, you could remove so many of these labor problems. The management would understand that this guy has to have a decent wage to live. But also this guy would understand that management has to have a profit to survive.

If a wife could sit where her husband sits, and if a husband could sit where his wife sits, how many problems this would solve. When he comes home at night, just all frazzled from the pressures and the hassles that he's had all day, and sits down and just wants to turn on TV, and just tune out for a while, and he's uncommunicative to his wife, well, if she could just understand the pressures, the hassles he's had. On the same token, if he could just be with those kids all day long and be communicating to them, he'd understand the wife's need to communicate on a different level when he gets home. "And I sat where they sat." Understanding, understanding the other person's position is so important, really, to compassion, to love. "It's a wellspring of life to him who has it." Oh God, grant that we might have better understanding.

The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips ( Proverbs 16:23 ).

So the heart is the issue of life.

Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, health to the bones ( Proverbs 16:24 ).

Now, I don't know if the scientists have ever made any relationship between honey and the bones, but it's sweet to the soul, honey, and health to the bones. What are they? Pleasant words. Oh, just cheerful words, pleasant words. How good they are.

There is a way that seemeth right unto man, but the end thereof are the ways of death ( Proverbs 16:25 ).

I think of so many people today who are deceived by false prophets, who are deceived by false religious systems. They're convinced that they are right. "There is a way that seems right unto man, but the end of it" ( Proverbs 14:12 ). There's another scripture, "Every man's way is right in his own eyes" ( Proverbs 21:2 ). But here, "There is a way that seems right." The way of life, you know. The philosophy of life that a man has chosen. It seems to be right. Eat, drink and merry. Tomorrow we die, you know. And you talk to that guy and he's convinced that his philosophy is correct. "But the end thereof, the way of death."

He that laboreth, laboreth for himself; for the mouth craves it of him ( Proverbs 16:26 ).

It's a thing that your labor goes to feed yourself.

An ungodly man digs up evil: and in his lips there is a burning fire ( Proverbs 16:27 ).

Actually, James says, "Behold, what a great fire such a little matter kindleth! And the tongue is like a fire" ( James 3:5-6 ). The things that it can enflame.

A perverse man sows strife: and a whisperer can separate the best of friends. A violent man entices his neighbor, and leads him into the way that is not good. He shuts his eyes to devise perverse things: moving his lips he brings evil to pass. Now the hoary head [which is the gray, the hoary frost, the white hair] is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness ( Proverbs 16:28-31 ).

I think that one of the worst things in the world is a dirty old man. You know when people get old and gray-headed, they're supposed to all be sweet and kind and loving. After all, they're getting towards the end, and so you ought to be mellow. And to see a little old gray-hair lady using four-letter words and all that kind of... it just, it's just wrong. It's out of place.

My daughter used to work for a medical supply firm and she had to deliver some things to this little old lady in the hospital. And she walked in and saw her and thought, "Oh, what a sweet-looking little old lady." And then this lady you know says, "Who the hell are you? And what are you doing here?" And just started all this filthy language. And it's just somehow incongruent; it's just out of place. "The gray hair is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." But man, if it's not.

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit is better than he that takes a city ( Proverbs 16:32 ).

How important it is. Slow to anger, ruling our own spirits. Important.

The lot is cast into the lap ( Proverbs 16:33 );

Now it's a... the lot is a thing whereby they would oftentimes determine. You know, it's like drawing a straw. They would cast lots into their lap.

but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD ( Proverbs 16:33 ).

Trying to get guidance or direction or to determine, they cast lots. But the real direction, the disposing of the thing comes from God. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. Trusting God ch. 16

In this chapter, there is also a slight change in the form of the proverbs. Solomon expressed the earlier proverbs (chs. 10-15) mainly in antithetical parallelisms, but the proverbs in this section are mainly synonymous and synthetic parallelisms. Instead of the key word being "but" it now becomes "and."

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Pleasant words [are as] an honeycomb,.... Jarchi interprets it of the words of the law; but it may be much better understood of the doctrines of the Gospel; such as the doctrines of God's everlasting love, eternal election, the covenant of grace, the person of Christ as God-man; of peace and reconciliation by his blood; of remission of sins through his atoning sacrifice; of justification by his righteousness; of life and salvation by his obedience, sufferings, and death; all the doctrines of grace, which show that salvation in all its parts is owing entirely to the free grace of God; these are all pleasant to the ear of him that knows the joyful sound, and to the taste of everyone that has tasted that the Lord is gracious. The precious promises of the Gospel may be meant; which are free and unconditional, irrevocable, and immutable, never fail of accomplishment; are yea and amen in Christ, and are suited to the various cases of God's people; these are very pleasant and delightful, when they are fitly spoken, and seasonably applied. Moreover, the speech of such as are wise in heart, true believers in Christ; their words, whether expressed in prayer or in praise, are pleasant to the Lord, and very grateful and acceptable to him: so their speech one to another, when about spiritual things; when it is with grace, then it ministers grace, and is very pleasant. Now all these, and especially the doctrines of the Gospel, are as "an honeycomb"; they are like unto it for the manner of its production; it is wrought and filled by the laborious bee, which goes from flower to flower, and gathers honey, and brings it into the hive, and there disposes of it: so laborious ministers of the Gospel gather their doctrines from the sacred Scriptures, which they diligently search, and go from one to another, and gather something from each; and, being richly laden with the fulness of the blessing Of the Gospel of Christ, bring it into the hive of the church, and there feed men with knowledge and understanding: and the doctrines of the Gospel are like unto the honeycomb for the manner of its communication, by dropping freely, gradually, and constantly; so Gospel ministers drop the pleasant words of the Gospel freely, and without pressing, having no other constraint but love to Christ and the souls of men; they do it gradually, as men are able to bear; and constantly preach the word, in season and out of season: and as the honey which drops from the honeycomb is the choicest honey, called "life honey"; such are the truths of the Gospel, they are excellent things, the most excellent. Likewise these are as the honeycomb for the honey in it; they are like the honey out of the rock the Israelites ate of; and like that out of the lion Samson fed upon; and like that which Jonathan tasted, that enlightened his eyes. The Gospel flows from Christ, the Rock; and is to be found in him, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and as slain, and has an enlightening virtue in it; and particularly these pleasant words are said to be as the honeycomb for its sweetness and healthfulness, as follows:

sweet to the soul, and health to the bones; they are "sweet" to the "soul" of him that understands them, and that has a spiritual taste of them; not to a natural and unregenerate man, whose natural taste remains in him, and is not changed; who calls evil good, and good evil; puts bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter; to him the doctrines of the Gospel are insipid, tasteless, and disagreeable things: nor are they sweet to a carnal professor; who, though he may express some value for them, has no spiritual gust and relish of them; but to them that believe, to whom Christ is precious, who have tasted that he is gracious; to these they are sweet, even sweeter than the honey or the honeycomb, Psalms 19:10. And they are "health to the bones"; they are the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus; they are the means of curing the diseases of the mind; of healing wounded spirits, and broken hearts, and broken bones; they make the bones which were broken to rejoice; what heals the bones strengthens the whole man, a man's strength lying much in his bones; these strengthen the inward man, cause believers to go from strength to strength, and to hold on and persevere to the end.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

      The pleasant words here commended must be those which the heart of the wise teaches, and adds learning to (Proverbs 16:23; Proverbs 16:23), words of seasonable advice, instruction, and comfort, words taken from God's word, for that is it which Solomon had learned from his father to account sweeter than honey and the honey-comb,Psalms 19:10. These words, to those that know how to relish them, 1. Are pleasant. They are like the honey-comb, sweet to the soul, which tastes in them that the Lord is gracious; nothing more grateful and agreeable to the new man than the word of God, and those words which are borrowed from it, Psalms 119:103. 2. They are wholesome. Many things are pleasant that are not profitable, but these pleasant words are health to the bones, to the inward man, as well as sweet to the soul. They make the bones, which sin has broken and put out of joint, to rejoice. The bones are the strength of the body; and the good word of God is a means of spiritual strength, curing the diseases that weaken us.