Proverbs 20.27

type: passage created: 2026-05-06 updated: 2026-05-06 book: Proverbs chapter: 20 verses: "27" translation_default: ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT tags: [scripture] citation_count: 1 enriched: false

Quoted in

Proverbs 20.27

Book: Proverbs · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"25. It is a snare to a man rashly to say, It is holy, And after vows to make inquiry. 26. A wise king winnoweth the wicked, And bringeth the threshing -wheel over them."

"27. The spirit of man is the lamp of Jehovah, Searching all his innermost parts."

"28. Kindness and truth preserve the king; And his throne is upholden by kindness. 29. The glory of young men is their strength; And the beauty of old men is the hoary head." (Proverbs 20:25-29, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"25. It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows. 26. A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them."

"27. The spirit of man is Yahweh’s lamp, searching all his innermost parts."

"28. Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love. 29. The glory of young men is their strength. The splendor of old men is their gray hair." (Proverbs 20:25-29, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"25. It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. 26. A wise king scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel over them."

"27. The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. ^{candle: or, lamp}"

"28. Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy. 29. The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head." (Proverbs 20:25-29, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"25. A snare to a man [is] he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry. 26. A wise king is scattering the wicked, And turneth back on them the wheel."

"27. The breath of man [is] a lamp of Jehovah, Searching all the inner parts of the heart."

"28. Kindness and truth keep a king, And he hath supported by kindness his throne. 29. The beauty of young men is their strength, And the honour of old men is grey hairs." (Proverbs 20:25-29, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: Solomon (principal); Agur; Lemuel; wise men
Audience: young Israelite men in the wisdom tradition
Location: Israel, Solomonic court
Time period: principal composition c. 970-930 BC (Solomon); compilation c. 700 BC (Hezekiah)

Theological reading

Key words

H0120 - adam, adam (Strong's H120). Also appears in: Genesis 1.26, Genesis 1.27, Genesis 2.7.
H3068 - YHWH, YHWH (Strong's H3068). Also appears in: Genesis 2.4, Genesis 2.7, Genesis 2.16-17.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.