Bible Strands
Proverbs 20:27
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, searching out his inmost being.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — An unnamed wisdom teacher offers a standalone aphorism, positioned between two verses on royal judgment (20:26, 20:28). The verse makes no reference to a king; it shifts the subject to the individual's inner life.
The words — The subject is נִשְׁמָה (nishmat), literally "breath," which the BSB renders "spirit"; this lexical choice carries the verse's claim. The verb חֹפֵשׂ (chofes), "searching," is a present participle, indicating continuous rather than one-time activity.
The thread — Job 32:8 identifies the same "spirit in a man" as the breath of the Almighty, and 1 Corinthians 2:11 parallels it by noting that only the inner spirit knows a person's thoughts. Hebrews 4:12 describes God's word piercing to that same dividing point between soul and spirit.
Why it lands — The verse asserts that the innermost self—what the text calls the "chambers of the belly"—is not private. It asks the reader to live as one whose hidden motives are already known, not because of external surveillance but because the breath that animates is the source of the searching.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly.
Cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
- Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.
- 1 John 3:19 And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:
- Genesis 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
- Romans 2:15 So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
- Proverbs 20:30 Lashes and wounds scour evil, and beatings cleanse the inmost parts.