Proverbs 3:5 KJV
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.King James Version
The same verse in modern English
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.Proverbs 3:5, World English Bible (WEB)
KJV and WEB compared
The two versions differ only in the forms of English. The KJV says “with all thine heart,” using thine before a word starting with h, as writers of its day often did; the WEB says “with all your heart.” The KJV’s “lean not” puts the verb first, where the WEB says “don’t lean.” The opening command, “Trust in the LORD,” is identical in both, and so is the closing phrase, “own understanding.” A reader loses nothing of the sense with either.
Sitting with this verse
A father’s voice runs through Proverbs 3, urging his son to keep wisdom close. Here the call is to trust the LORD with the whole heart, not a cautious portion of it. To “lean” is to put your weight on something; human understanding is real, but too thin to bear everything. The next verse carries the thought forward. Notice where your weight is resting right now, and shift a little of it onto God.
Older words in this verse
- thy, thine
- your, yours
- unto
- to
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