Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
King James Version
World English Bible (WEB)
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.
American Standard Version (ASV)
Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding:
What this verse means
Trust is a whole-heart decision, especially when your own understanding runs out.
A closer look at Proverbs 3:5
Proverbs 3:5 belongs to a father’s extended instruction about wisdom, discipline, generosity, and the shape of a life. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart is paired with lean not unto thine own understanding, not because thought is bad, but because private judgement is a poor god. The next verse makes the trust practical: acknowledge God in all your ways, and He will make the path straight. It is a posture for decision-making, not an anti-intellectual slogan.
The proverb also does not promise that every choice will become obvious or painless. A straight path can still climb, narrow, or require patience. Trust means submitting plans to God’s character, seeking wise counsel, and obeying what Scripture has already made clear while the rest remains uncertain. When quoted to someone making a difficult decision, it is better as an invitation to humility than as a guarantee that a particular option has been divinely stamped.
A short prayer
Lord, I choose trust over my own limited understanding. Lead me with Your wisdom.
Read in context — Proverbs 3
3Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
4So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
5Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
Related verses
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”Matthew 5:16
“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 3:14
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”Proverbs 22:6
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.”Psalms 28:7
“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”Psalms 34:8
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