What Does Proverbs 20:5 Mean?
Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep waters, but a man of understanding draws it up.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.THE KEY
Understanding does not manufacture counsel; it draws into view what is already held deep in the heart.
THE MEANING
Counsel can be present within a person without being immediately visible. Understanding draws it out, like water raised from a deep well. What seems hidden is not necessarily absent.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that useful counsel must always come from outside: some counsel is already within, waiting to be drawn out by understanding.
THE ROOT
יִדְלֶנָּה
yidlennah
GROWS FROM
דלה
dalah
Draw up, especially water from a depth.
“draws it up” in this verse is yidlennah. The verb carries the image of drawing water, not creating it. Understanding brings hidden counsel to the surface as a bucket brings water up from a well.
ALSO GROWS
dalah: To draw up water.
דָּלָה
This is the same action pictured in the verse: bringing something up from a depth.
deli: A bucket for drawing water.
דְּלִי
The related word keeps the image concrete: drawing counsel out is like raising water from a well.
עֵצָה
etsah
GROWS FROM
יעץ
ya'ats
Advise or deliberate.
The counsel is located in the heart before it is spoken. Its root connects counsel with deliberation and advice: something that can be brought into use once it is discerned.
ALSO GROWS
ya'ats: To advise or deliberate.
יָעַץ
The verb shows counsel as something formed through reflection and offered as advice.
yo'ets: A counselor or adviser.
יוֹעֵץ
This branch names the person who gives counsel, linking the inward store to counsel expressed for another.
תְּבוּנָה
tebunah
GROWS FROM
בין
bin
Discern or distinguish.
Understanding is the capacity to discern what is present beneath the surface. The verse links that perception directly to drawing counsel out, so insight makes hidden wisdom accessible.
ALSO GROWS
bin: To understand or discern.
בִּין
The verb names the perception that lets a person recognize what is held within.
mevin: One who understands or discerns.
מֵבִין
This is the discerning person in the verse: the one able to bring inward counsel into view.
THE PATTERN
Wisdom can remain hidden within and become knowable when it is brought into expression.
Deep waters, the words of a man's mouth; a springing brook, the wellspring of wisdom.A good human brings out good from the good treasure of the heart, and an evil human brings out evil from the evil treasure of the heart, for from the overflow of the heart his mouth speaks.The one who leans his weight into me, as the writing has said, rivers of living waters will flow from his belly.THE THREAD
Deep waters, the words of a man's mouth; a springing brook, the wellspring of wisdom.Proverbs 18:4 uses the same Hebrew root for “deep” as this verse, then moves from what lies beneath the surface to spoken words and flowing wisdom. Together, the images show speech carrying water from an inner source while understanding draws that depth into view.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
You can read any verse this way in the app, keep it as a card, and send it on.
A Bible app where you send verses from your keyboard and in Messages, and every verse has a Deep Dive.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us