Bible Strands
Proverbs 27:19
As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the true man.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The text places this proverb between an instruction on diligent service (27:18) and an observation on human insatiability (27:20). It functions as a standalone wisdom saying without a named speaker or specific historical moment.
The words — מַּיִם (mayim) translates to water, and לֵב (lev) translates to heart. The verse uses these terms to establish a physical metaphor for internal reality.
The thread — The concept of the heart's condition appears in Psalms 33:15, which notes God shapes each heart, and Mark 7:21, which locates evil thoughts within the heart. James 1:22 parallels the reflective nature of the verse by warning against self-deception when hearing without doing.
Why it lands — The text demands that a reader examine their own heart to see what it reveals about their character. It requires honest self-assessment rather than relying on outward appearances.
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
As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.
Cross-references
- James 1:22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
- Psalms 33:15 He shapes the hearts of each; He considers all their works.
- Mark 7:21 For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
- Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.