16:2

Notice the parallel pairs that contrast in meaning:

2a
All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes,

2b but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.

This proverb contrasts a person’s own opinion of the good things that he does with the LORD’s evaluation of his inner motives.

16:2a

All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes: In Hebrew, this clause is more literally “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes” (English Standard Version). The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pure means “innocent” or “unmixed with evil.” The clause means that a person’s conduct is entirely good or right in his own opinion or viewpoint. Another way to express this meaning is:

You may think everything you do is right (Good News Translation)

16:2b

his motives: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as motives is literally “spirits.” It refers here to a person’s underlying reasons or intentions for doing something.

are weighed out by the LORD: It is the LORD who figuratively “weighs” motives. This means that he examines or evaluates a person’s motives ⌊to determine whether they are truly good or bad⌋ .

Another way to translate the meaning of this line is:

but the Lord judges your motives (Good News Translation)

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