Proverbs 16:1

The preparations of the heart in man,.... The sense of these words, according to our version, depends upon the next clause, and the meaning of the whole is, that a man can neither think nor speak

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. The preparations [literally, the orderly disposings, as those of an army in array; or as the loaves of the showbread set in order.

CHAPTER 16 Men can neither think nor speak wisely and well of themselves, or without Divine assistance. Or, as many others, both ancient and modern interpreters, render the verse, The preparations, or dispositions, or orderings of the heart are in or from a man; (i.e. a man may consider and contrive in his own thoughts what he wills or designs to speak; which is spoken by way of concession, yet not excluding man’ s dependence upon God therein, which is evident both from many plain texts of Scripture, and from undeniable reason;) but the answer or speech (as this word is oft used) of the tongue is from the Lord. Men cannot express their own thoughts without God’ s leave and help, and their tongues are oft overruled by God to speak what was besides and above their own thoughts, as he did Balaam, Numbers 23, and Caiaphas, .

Proverbs 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, [is] from the LORD.Ver. 1. The preparations of the heart in man.] He saith not ‘ of man’ as if it were in man’ s power to dispose of his own heart, but "in man," as wholly wrought by God; for our sufficiency is not in ourselves, but "in him (as we live, so) we move" - understand it of the motions of the mind also. It is he that "fashioneth the hearts of men," shaping them at his pleasure. He put small thoughts into the heart of Ahasuerus, but for great purposes. And so he did into the heart of our Henry VIII about his marriage with Katherine of Spain, the rise of that Reformation here, Quam desperasset aetas praeterita, admiratur praesens, obstupescet futura, as Scultetus hath it, which former ages despaired of, the present admireth, and the future shall stand amazed at. And the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.] For though a man have never so exactly marshalled his matter in hand, as it were in battle array, - as the Hebrew word here imports, and as David, using the same word, saith, he will marshal his prayer, and then be as a spy upon a watch tower to see what became of it, whether he got the day, - though he have set down with himself both what and how to speak, so that it is not only scriptum in animo, sed sculpture etiam, as the orator said, yet he shall never be able to bring forth his conceptions without the obstetrication of God’ s assistance. The most eloquent Demosthenes being sent various times in embassy to Philip, king of Macedonia, thrice stood speechless before him, and thrice more forgot what he intended to have spoken. Likewise Latomas of Lovain, a great scholar, having prepared a set speech to be made before the emperor, Charles V, was so confounded when he came to deliver it that he uttered nothing but nonsense, and thereupon fell into a fit of despair. So Augustine, having once lost himself in a sermon, and wanting what else to say, fell upon the Manichees (a point that he had well studied), and by a good providence of God converted one there present, that was infected with that error. Digressions are not always useless. God’ s Spirit sometimes draws aside the doctrine to satisfy some soul which the preacher knows not. But though God may force it, yet man may not frame it; and it is a most happy ability to speak punctually, directly, and readily to the point. The Corinthians had elocution as a special gift of God. And St Paul gives God "thanks for them, that in everything they were enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge." Scult. Annal. dec. 2 ep. dedic. ςψκ disponere, ordinare, et aciem instruere, significat. πριςαφονοςεγενετο, τρισακιςδιελαθετουτωναλαλεινεσκοπει.

XVI. (1) The preparations of the heart in man . . .—Rather, To man belong the counsels of the heart. He may turn over in his mind what is the right thing to be said on any occasion, “but from the Lord is the answer of the tongue.” (Comp. Proverbs 15:23.)

CHAPTER XVI Man prepares, but God governs. God has made all things for himself; he hates pride. The judgments of God. The administration of kings; their justice, anger, and clemency. God has made all in weight, measure, and due proportion. Necessity produces industry. The patient man. The lot is under the direction of the Lord. NOTES ON CHAP. XVI Verse 1. The preparations of the heart in man] The Hebrew is לאדם מערכי לב leadam maarchey leb, which is, literally, "To man are the dispositions of the heart; but from the Lord is the answer of the tongue." Man proposes his wishes; but God answers as he thinks proper. The former is the free offspring of the heart of man; the latter, the free volition of God. Man may think as he pleases, and ask as he lists; but God will give, or not give, as he thinks proper. This I believe to be the meaning of this shamefully tortured passage, so often vexed by critics, their doubts, and indecisions. God help them! for they seldom have the faculty of making any subject plainer! The text does not say that the "preparations," rather dispositions or arrangements, מערכי maarchey, "of the heart," as well as "the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord;" though it is generally understood so; but it states that the dispositions or schemes of the heart (are) man's; but the answer of the tongue (is) the Lord's. And so the principal versions have understood it. Hominis est animam preparare; et Domini gubernare linguam. - VULGATE. "It is the part of man to prepare his soul: it is the prerogative of the Lord to govern the tongue." מן בר נש תרעיתא דלבא ומן יי ממללא דלישנא min bar nash taritha delibba; umin yeya mamlala delishana. - CHALDEE. "From the son of man is the counsel of the heart; and from the Lord is the word of the tongue." The SYRIAC is the same. καρδιαανδροςλογζεσθωδικαια, Ἱναὑποτουθεουδιορθωθῃταδιαβηματααυτῃ. - SEPTUAGINT. "The heart of man deviseth righteous things, that its goings may be directed by God." The ARABIC takes great latitude: "All the works of an humble man are clean before the Lord; and the wicked shall perish in an evil day." Of a man is to maken redy the inwitt: and of the Lorde to governe the tunge. - Old MS. Bible. "A man maye well purpose a thinge in his harte: but the answere of the tonge cometh of the Lorde. - COVERDALE. MATTHEW'S Bible, 1549, and BECKE'S Bible of the same date, and CARDMARDEN'S of 1566, follow Coverdale. The Bible printed by R. Barker, at Cambridge, 4to., 1615, commonly called the Breeches Bible, reads the text thus: - "The preparations of the hart are in man; but the answere of the tongue is of the Lord." So that it appears that our first, and all our ancient versions, understood the text in the same way; and this, independently of critical torture, is the genuine meaning of the Hebrew text.

1. The preparations &c.] Rather: To man belong the preparations (or plans) of the heart; But from Jehovah is the answer of the tongue. This cannot mean that wise thoughts are human, but wise words divine, that man unaided can plan well, but only by God’s help can speak well; but rather that after man has done his utmost in planning, his wisest plans may come to nought in the comparatively easy act of giving utterance to them with a view to their accomplishment, unless Jehovah guides his tongue. And the implied moral of the proverb is, If you cannot do the less without God, do not attempt to do the greater without Him; “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths,” Proverbs 3:5-6. Comp. Proverbs 16:9 of this chapter.

The proverbs in Proverbs 16:1-7 have, more than any other group, an especially religious character impressed upon them. The name of Yahweh as Giver, Guide, Ruler, or Judge, meets us in each of them.

1. The preparations of the heart — The weight of criticism is against this reading. There is unquestionably a sense in which the saying, as it stands, is true. But this does not seem to be the meaning here.