The Meaning of Proverbs 16:1 Explained

Proverbs 16:1

KJV: The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

YLT: Of man are arrangements of the heart, And from Jehovah an answer of the tongue.

Darby: The purposes of the heart are of man, but the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah.

ASV: The plans of the heart belong to man; But the answer of the tongue is from Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The preparations  of the heart  in man,  and the answer  of the tongue,  [is] from the LORD. 

What does Proverbs 16:1 Mean?

Study Notes

fear
.
fear of the Lord
The "fear of the Lord," a phrase of the O.T. piety, meaning reverential trust, with hatred of evil.

Verse Meaning

The meaning of this proverb is similar to that of Proverbs 16:9. Even though man has freedom to plan, in the end he only fulfills the will of God by what he says. Man plans his words, but what really comes out takes place because God sovereignly controls. "Man proposes, God disposes," is a common equivalent.
". . . when someone is trying to speak before others, the Lord directs the words according to his sovereign will." [1]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 16

1  The Plans of the heart

What do the individual words in Proverbs 16:1 mean?

[belong] to man the preparations of the heart but [is] from Yahweh the answer of the tongue
לְאָדָ֥ם מַֽעַרְכֵי־ לֵ֑ב וּ֝מֵיְהוָ֗ה מַעֲנֵ֥ה לָשֽׁוֹן

לְאָדָ֥ם  [belong]  to  man 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
מַֽעַרְכֵי־  the  preparations 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מַעֲרָךְ  
Sense: arrangement, plan, preparation.
לֵ֑ב  of  the  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וּ֝מֵיְהוָ֗ה  but  [is]  from  Yahweh 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מַעֲנֵ֥ה  the  answer 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲנֶה 
Sense: answer, response.
לָשֽׁוֹן  of  the  tongue 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: לָשֹׁון  
Sense: tongue.