Proverbs 16:31
New International Version
Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.

New Living Translation
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.

English Standard Version
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.

Berean Standard Bible
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.

King James Bible
The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

New King James Version
The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness.

New American Standard Bible
A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.

NASB 1995
A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.

NASB 1977
A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.

Legacy Standard Bible
Gray hair is a crown of beauty; It is found in the way of righteousness.

Amplified Bible
The silver-haired head is a crown of splendor and glory; It is found in the way of righteousness.

Christian Standard Bible
Gray hair is a glorious crown; it is found in the ways of righteousness.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Gray hair is a glorious crown; it is found in the way of righteousness.

American Standard Version
The hoary head is a crown of glory; It shall be found in the way of righteousness.

Contemporary English Version
Gray hair is a glorious crown worn by those who have lived right.

English Revised Version
The hoary head is a crown of glory, it shall be found in the way of righteousness.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Silver hair is a beautiful crown found in a righteous life.

Good News Translation
Long life is the reward of the righteous; gray hair is a glorious crown.

International Standard Version
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is obtained by following a righteous path.

Majority Standard Bible
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness.

NET Bible
Gray hair is like a crown of glory; it is attained in the path of righteousness.

New Heart English Bible
Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is found in the path of righteousness.

Webster's Bible Translation
The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness.

World English Bible
Gray hair is a crown of glory. It is attained by a life of righteousness.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Grey hairs [are] a crown of beauty, "" It is found in the way of righteousness.

Young's Literal Translation
A crown of beauty are grey hairs, In the way of righteousness it is found.

Smith's Literal Translation
Old age a crown of glorying, shall be found in the way of justice.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Old age is a crown of dignity, when it is found in the ways of justice.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Old age is a crown of dignity, when it is found in the ways of justice.

New American Bible
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by a life that is just.

New Revised Standard Version
Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The hoary head is a crown of glory and is exalted in the way of righteousness.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Old age is a crown of glory and the way of righteousness is praised.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The hoary head is a crown of glory, It is found in the way of righteousness.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Old age is a crown of honour, but it is found in the ways of righteousness.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Reply of the Tongue is from the LORD
30He who winks his eye devises perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil. 31Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained along the path of righteousness. 32He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.…

Cross References
Leviticus 19:32
You are to rise in the presence of the elderly, honor the aged, and fear your God. I am the LORD.

Job 12:12
Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life.

Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old age, I will be the same, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you and deliver you.

Psalm 92:14
In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green they will remain,

Job 32:7
I thought that age should speak, and many years should teach wisdom.

1 Kings 12:6-8
Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How do you advise me to respond to these people?” he asked. / They replied, “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them this day, and if you will respond by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.” / But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.

Titus 2:2-3
Older men are to be temperate, dignified, self-controlled, and sound in faith, love, and perseverance. / Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good.

1 Timothy 5:1-2
Do not rebuke an older man, but appeal to him as to a father. Treat younger men as brothers, / older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

2 Timothy 4:7-8
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. / From now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but to all who crave His appearing.

Psalm 71:18
Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, until I proclaim Your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, “I find no pleasure in them,” / before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, and the clouds return after the rain, / on the day the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men stoop, when those grinding cease because they are few and those watching through windows see dimly, ...

Genesis 25:8
And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died, old and contented, and was gathered to his people.

Deuteronomy 34:7
Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not diminished.

2 Samuel 19:32-35
Barzillai was quite old, eighty years of age, and since he was a very wealthy man, he had provided for the king while he stayed in Mahanaim. / The king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will provide for you at my side in Jerusalem.” / But Barzillai replied, “How many years of my life remain, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king? ...


Treasury of Scripture

The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

hoary

Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

Leviticus 19:32
Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Job 32:6,7
And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion…

if

Genesis 47:7-10
And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh…

1 Samuel 12:2-5
And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day…

1 Chronicles 29:10
Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.

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Proverbs 16
1. The Plans of the heart














Gray hair
In the Hebrew text, the word for "gray hair" is "שֵׂיבָה" (seybah), which signifies old age and the wisdom that often accompanies it. In ancient Israelite culture, gray hair was a symbol of honor and respect. It was seen as a visible sign of a life lived with experience and knowledge. The Bible frequently associates age with wisdom, as seen in Job 12:12, "Wisdom is found with the elderly, and understanding comes with long life." This phrase reminds us that the aging process, often viewed negatively in contemporary society, is actually a divine gift and a testament to a life of learning and growth.

is a crown of glory
The imagery of a "crown" in the Hebrew "עֲטֶרֶת" (ateret) suggests royalty, honor, and dignity. Crowns were worn by kings and high priests, symbolizing authority and splendor. In this context, gray hair is metaphorically described as a crown, indicating that it should be regarded with the same respect and admiration. The "glory" (כָּבוֹד, kavod) here refers to the honor and esteem that comes from a life well-lived. This phrase encourages believers to value and respect the elderly, recognizing the divine wisdom and honor that comes with age.

it is attained
The Hebrew verb "תִּמָּצֵא" (timma'tze) means "to be found" or "to be attained." This suggests that gray hair, and the wisdom it represents, is not merely a natural consequence of aging but is something that is achieved or earned. It implies a journey or process, emphasizing that the respect and honor associated with gray hair are the results of a life lived in accordance with God's principles. This serves as a reminder that the path to wisdom and honor is intentional and requires dedication to living a righteous life.

along the path of righteousness
The "path of righteousness" (דֶּרֶךְ צְדָקָה, derekh tzedaqah) is a central theme in the book of Proverbs, representing a life lived in accordance with God's laws and moral principles. Righteousness in the Hebrew context is about right relationships—with God, with others, and with oneself. This phrase underscores the idea that true honor and wisdom are not merely products of age but are the results of a life committed to following God's ways. It serves as an encouragement to pursue righteousness, knowing that it leads to a life of honor and respect, symbolized by the "crown of glory" that is gray hair. This path is not only about personal piety but also about justice, mercy, and humility before God, as echoed in Micah 6:8.

(31) If it be found in the way of righteousness.--Rather, it is found; old age being promised as the reward of obedience. (Comp. Proverbs 3:1-2; Proverbs 3:16; Proverbs 4:10; Proverbs 9:11; Proverbs 10:27.)

Verse 31. - The hoary head is a crown of glory (Proverbs 20:29). (For "crown," see on Proverbs 17:6.) Old age is the reward of a good life, and therefore is an honour to a man (comp. Proverbs 3:2, 16; Proverbs 4:10; Proverbs 9:11; Proverbs 10:27). If it be found - rather, it shall be found - in the way of righteousness; the guerdon of obedience and holiness; whereas "bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days" (Psalm 55:23). It is well said in the Book of Wisdom (4, 5, etc.), "Honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years. But wisdom is the grey hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Gray hair
שֵׂיבָ֑ה (śê·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 7872: Hoary head, old age

[is] a crown
עֲטֶ֣רֶת (‘ă·ṭe·reṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 5850: A crown, wreath

of glory;
תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת (tip̄·’e·reṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8597: Beauty, glory

it is attained
תִּמָּצֵֽא׃ (tim·mā·ṣê)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

along the path
בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ (bə·ḏe·reḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

of righteousness.
צְ֝דָקָ֗ה (ṣə·ḏā·qāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6666: Rightness, subjectively, objectively


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 16:31 Gray hair is a crown of glory (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 16:30
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