Proverbs 19 · Verse 3

Proverbs 19:3

The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.
Proverbs 19:3, King James Version

Proverbs 19:3 in other translations

BSBA man’s own folly subverts his way, yet his heart rages against the LORD.
WEBThe foolishness of man subverts his way; his heart rages against the LORD.
ASVThe foolishness of man subverteth his way; And his heart fretteth against Jehovah.
YLTThe folly of man perverteth his way, And against Jehovah is his heart wroth.
DARBYThe folly of man distorteth his way, and his heart is irritated against Jehovah.
BBEBy his foolish behaviour a man's ways are turned upside down, and his heart is bitter against the Lord.
WebsterThe foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.

What does Proverbs 19:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
3. perverteth ... way--turns him back from right (Pr 13:6; Jas 1:13); and he blames God for his failures.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 The foolishness of man - Most men complain of cross providences, because they get into straits and difficulties through the perverseness of their ways; and thus they fret against God; whereas, in every instance, they are the causes of their own calamities. O how inconsistent is man!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
Men run into troubles by their own folly, and then fret at the appointments of God.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 19:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אִוֶּ֣לֶת'i.Ve.let[the] folly ofH200
אָ֭דָם'A.doma personH120
תְּסַלֵּ֣ףte.sa.Lefit subvertsH5557
דַּרְכּ֑וֹdar.Koway hisH1870
וְעַל\־ve.'al-and towardsH5921
יְ֝הוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3068
יִזְעַ֥ףyiz.'Afit ragesH2196
לִבּֽוֹ\׃li.Boheart hisH3820

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 19:3

  • Revelation 16:9-11

    And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

  • Psalms 37:7

    Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

  • Proverbs 11:3

    The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

  • 1 Samuel 22:13-23

    And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house? Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more. And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house. …

  • 2 Chronicles 16:9-10

    For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

  • Numbers 16:19-41

    And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the congregation. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation? …

  • Acts 13:45-46

    But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

  • Numbers 17:12-13

    And the children of Israel spake unto Moses, saying, Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish. Whosoever cometh any thing near unto the tabernacle of the Lord shall die: shall we be consumed with dying?

  • Genesis 4:5-14

    But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. …

  • Psalms 37:1

    A Psalm of David. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

  • 2 Kings 3:9-10

    So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days’ journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them. And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab!

  • 1 Samuel 15:23

    For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
foolishness.
Ge 3:6-12; 4:5-14; Nu 16:19-41; 17:12,13; 1Sa 13:13; 15:23
1Sa 22:13-23; 1Ki 20:42,43; 2Ki 3:9,10; 6:33; 2Ch 16:9,10
Ac 13:45,46
fretteth.
Ps 37:1,7; Isa 8:21,22; Re 16:9-11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 19:2

    Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

  • Proverbs 19:3

    The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord.

  • Proverbs 19:4

    Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.

Read all of Proverbs 19

Proverbs 19:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
La insensatez del hombre tuerce su camino; y contra Jehová se aira su corazón.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
La folie de l’homme pervertit sa voie, et son cœur s’irrite contre l’ Éternel.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Die Narrheit des Menschen verdirbt seinen Weg, und sein Herz grollt wider Jehova.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Stultitia hominis supplantat gressus ejus, et contra Deum fervet animo suo.