Proverbs 20:5 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 20:5 mean?

Proverbs 20:5 says that a person’s thoughts and plans may be hard to discover. Someone with understanding can bring them into the open, much as a person draws water from a deep well.

The image gives the hidden thoughts a definite location: they are there, but reaching them takes effort. The proverb describes both the depth of what is inside a person and the skill involved in drawing it out.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 20:5

• “Counsel” — עֵצָה (ʿetsah): The word can mean advice, purpose, or a plan. Here, “counsel in the heart” can include a person’s intentions, not just advice given to someone else.
• “heart” — לֵב (lev): The word can refer to a person’s inner life, including thought and intention. In this proverb, the “heart” is where the counsel lies.
• “draw it out” — דָּלָה (dalah): The verb carries the sense of drawing water, as from a well. The same action gives the proverb its picture of bringing hidden counsel into the open.

Why Proverbs 20:5 matters

• The proverb treats inner counsel as something a person may have before speaking. The phrase “in the heart” places the counsel within the person, while “draw it out” describes making it accessible.
• Understanding is shown in the ability to reach another person’s thoughts. The contrast between “deep water” and “a man of understanding” joins the difficulty of the task to the skill needed for it.
• The comparison does not present the hidden counsel as necessarily good or bad. “Counsel” names what is deep inside, while the verse’s attention falls on discovering it.