Proverbs 16:1

The intentions of the heart ¹  belong to a man, ²  but the answer of the tongue ³  comes from ⁴  the Lord. ⁵ 

biblegateway Pro 16:1

To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.

biblegateway Pro 16:1

The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

biblegateway Pro 16:1

We can gather our thoughts, but the LORD gives the right answer.

biblegateway Pro 16:1

Mortals make elaborate plans, but GOD has the last word.

SABDAweb Pro 16:1

The designs of the heart are man’s, but the answer of the tongue comes from the Lord.

bibleoremus Pro 16:1

The plans of the mind belong to mortals, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

biblegateway Pro 16:1

The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.

biblegateway Pro 16:1

The intentions of the heart ¹  belong to a man, ²  but the answer of the tongue ³  comes from ⁴  the Lord. ⁵ 

¹ tn Heb “plans of the heart” (so ASV, NASB, NIV). The phrase מַעַרְכֵי־לֵב (ma’arkhe-lev) means “the arrangements of the mind.”

¹ sn Humans may set things in order, plan out what they are going to say, but God sovereignly enables them to put their thoughts into words.

² tn Heb “[are] to a man.”

³ tn Here “the tongue” is a metonymy of cause in which the instrument of speech is put for what is said: the answer expressed.

⁴ sn The contrasting prepositions enhance the contrasting ideas – the ideas belong to people, but the words come from the Lord.

⁵ sn There are two ways this statement can be taken: (1) what one intends to say and what one actually says are the same, or (2) what one actually says differs from what the person intended to say. The second view fits the contrast better. The proverb then is giving a glimpse of how God even confounds the wise. When someone is trying to speak [“answer” in the book seems to refer to a verbal answer] before others, the Lord directs the words according to his sovereign will.