There are thirty-one chapters in the book of Proverbs, and most of them are written by David’s son Solomon. The subjects addressed in the book vary: friendship, marriage, parenting, work, self-control, death, wisdom, and speech—just to name a handful.
With all these chapters in view, we can locate the middle verse in the whole book. The central verse in the book of Proverbs is 16:17:
The highway of the upright turns aside from evil;
whoever guards his way preserves his life.
How appropriate! The content of this verse is suitable to its central placement in the book’s literary design. Let’s note several truths that demonstrate how aptly placed it is.
First, the verse is concerned about a path—in this case, a “highway.” The book is full of path or way language. A “way” signifies someone’s life. The way of the fool leads to destruction, while the way of the wise leads to life. Solomon exhorts readers to consider the path of their feet and where the path will lead them.
Second, the verse is about the way of the wise, here called the “highway of the upright.” The upright are those who trust in the Lord. They want their lives to conform to the righteous ways of the Lord. They are “upright” because their trusting heart has borne fruit in a reverent life. The upright are not sinless, but they want to pursue the Lord and grow in wisdom.
Third, the verse mentions the relationship that this highway has toward evil. The highway of the upright “turns aside from evil,” Solomon says. Imagine traveling on a road and, in the distance, you spot a dilapidated and ominous structure. But the farther down the road you go, you realize that the road begins to turn away from it, and you are relieved. The highway of the upright turns aside from evil. The life of God’s people, then, must know when to turn aside.
Fourth, the verse highlights the personal responsibility that we have in our spiritual well-being. Solomon speaks of someone who “guards his way.” The book of Proverbs would have us take a vested interest in the state of our souls. We must look, metaphorically, at the direction of our feet on the path beneath us. And we must take care to move in the right direction. This “way” is one to be guarded. We guard things that are valuable and vulnerable. Consider the well-being of your soul, and guard your way.
Fifth, the verse mentions the result of guarding your way. Whoever guards his way “preserves his life.” This promise serves as an incentive. Don’t you want to preserve your life? Don’t you want to avoid judgment? Don’t you want to escape the disastrous path of the fool? The end of this verse tells us that guarding your way will preserve your life.
Proverbs 16:17 reminds me of the later words of Isaiah: “And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it” (Isa. 35:8).
Christian discipleship is not a passive life. Believers are those who turn from evil and turn to the Lord. Their path is marked by wisdom and a delight in what is upright. The end of the highway for the believer is life—everlasting life.
Dear believer, guard your way. The road of the upright turns from evil, so turn from evil and follow the direction of the faithful road. The words of God in Holy Scripture are dependable and lifegiving, for these words tell us of the One greater than Solomon, the One who walks this highway with us and who leads us like a faithful shepherd.
The need to “guard” our way does not negate the preserving grace of God who holds us fast and whose love will never be disrupted by the trials, sins, and afflictions of life.
Solomon’s words in Proverbs 16:17 strike the same tone as Paul in Philippians 2:12–13: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”