Proverbs 16:17
WEB
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
BSB
The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life.
KJV
The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H4546
n-f — thoroughfare, turnpiked, viaduct, staircase
Derivation: from 5549;
a thoroughfare (as turnpiked), literally or figuratively; specifically a viaduct, a staircase
KJV: causeway, course, highway, path, terrace.
n.f — highway
מְסִלָּה n.f. highway
H3477
a — straight
Derivation: from 3474;
straight (literally or figuratively)
KJV: convenient, equity, Jasher, just, meet(-est), pleased well right(-eous), straight, (most) upright(-ly, -ness).
adj — straight
יָשָׁר adj. straight, right
1. straight, level
2. right, pleasing
3. straightforward, just, upright
4. abstr., uprightness
H5493
v — turn
Derivation: or שׂוּר; (Hosea 9:12), a primitive root;
to turn off (literally or figuratively)
KJV: be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), × grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, × be sour, take (away, off), turn (aside, away, in), withdraw, be without.
vb — turn aside
סוּר and [שׂוּר] 300 vb. turn aside
Qal
1. turn aside, out of one's course
2. depart
3. of lifeless things = be removed
4. = come to an end
Pô‛lēl he turned aside my ways (my steps)
Hiph.
1. cause to (turn aside,) depart, common word for remove, take away
2. rarer uses
Pô‛lēl be taken away, removed
H7451
a n-m n-f — bad, evil
Derivation: from 7489;
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
KJV: adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), exceedingly, × great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
n.m — evil
רַע 126 n.m. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
1. evil, distress, adversity
2. evil, injury, wrong
3. ethical evil
adj — bad
רַע 228 adj. bad, evil
1. bad, disagreeable, malignant
2. bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery
3. evil, displeasing
4. bad of its kind
5. bad, , i.e. of low value
6. מִן comp., worse than
7. sad, unhappy
8. devise evil (hurtful) device
9. bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper
10. ethically bad, evil, wicked
n.f — evil
רָעָה 310 n.f. evil, misery, distress, injury
1. evil, misery, distress
2. evil, injury, wrong
3. ethical evil
H8104
v — hedge, guard, protect, attend to
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.
KJV: beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).
vb — keep
שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve
Qal 425
1.
a. keep, have charge of
b. keep, guard, captives
c. hence, watch for, wait for
d. watch, observe
2.
a. keep, retain, of storing up (food)
b. keep within bounds, restrain
3.
a. observe, celebrate
b. keep sabbath
c. of other obligations
d. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
4. sts. י׳ subj.
5. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
Niph. 36
1. be on one's guard
2. keep oneself, refrain, abstain
3. be kept, guarded
Pi. those paying regard to false vanities
Hithp. I kept myself from
H5315
n-f — breathing creature, animal, vitality
Derivation: from 5314;
properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
KJV: any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (× in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, slay, soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, × would have it.
n.f — soul
נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
1. = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
2. The נפשׁ becomes a living being
3. The נפשׁ is specif.
4. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
5. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
6. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
7. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
8. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
9. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
10. נ׳ in D
H5341
v — guard, protect, maintain, obey, conceal
Derivation: a primitive root;
to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.)
KJV: besieged, hidden thing, keep(-er, -ing), monument, observe, preserve(-r), subtil, watcher(-man).
vb — watch
[נָצַר] vb. watch, guard, keep;—Qal
1. Watch, guard, keep
2. Guard from dangers, preserve
3. Guard with fidelity, keep, observe
4. Guard, keep secret
5. Keep close, blockaded
H1870
n-m — road, trodden, course, mode
Derivation: from 1869;
a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
KJV: along, away, because of, by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).
n.m — way
דֶּ֫רֶךְ 715 n.m. way, road, distance, journey, manner
1. way, road, path
2. journey
3. of direction, almost or quite = toward
4. way, manner
5. fig. of course of life, or action, undertakings
6.
a. of moral action and character
b. of duty
c. specif.: in good sense
d. oftener in bad sense
e. way of י׳
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Verse 17
Proverbs 16:17
Note, 1. It is the way of the upright to avoid sin, and every thing that looks like it and leads towards it; and this is a highway marked out by authority, tracked by many that have gone before us, and in which we meet with many that keep company with us; it is easy to find and safe to be travelled in, like a highway, Isa 35:8. To depart from evil is understanding. 2. It is the care of the upright to preserve their own souls, that they be not polluted with sin, and that by the troubles of the world they may not be put out of the possession of them, especially that they may not perish for ever, Mat 16:26. And it is therefore their care to keep their way, and not turn aside out of it, on either hand, but to press towards perfection. Those that adhere to their duty secure their felicity. Keep thy way and God will keep thee.
Cross-references: Isa 35:8 · Matt 16:26