The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed is that the "counsel" isn't just about giving advice, but about discerning a person's true inner motives and purposes. Just like drawing water requires skillful effort and the right tools, understanding someone's heart takes insightful questions and careful observation.
The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This proverb comes right after a warning about the difficulty of finding truly faithful and trustworthy people. It then shifts to discuss the hidden depths within a person's thoughts and intentions – just like the concealed water at the bottom of a well. The following verses continue this theme of discernment, advising us to be cautious about judging people based on first impressions and to recognize that true worth is not always obvious.
Ever met someone who seems to have a whole world of thoughts and plans locked inside? Proverbs 20:5 gives us a vivid picture of this.
The verse compares the 'counsel in the heart of man' to 'deep water.' This isn't just about having good ideas; it speaks to the hidden depths of our intentions, plans, and wisdom.
What is 'Deep Water'?
This imagery reminds us that people, like wells, often hold more than what's immediately visible. True wisdom or purpose can be concealed until it's intentionally brought to light.
If thoughts and intentions are like deep water, how do we ever access them? Proverbs 20:5 has the answer.
The verse highlights the role of 'a man of understanding' who can 'draw it out.' This isn't about forceful extraction or manipulation, but skillful inquiry.
What Does 'Drawing It Out' Entail?
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This points to the value of good communication, active listening, and keen observation in truly understanding others.
Understand the original words
leb · Hebrew Noun
The innermost part of the person; in Hebrew thought, it is the center of intellect, volition, emotions, and moral decision-making. It is the seat of one's true character before God.
tebunah · Hebrew Noun
Deep insight, discernment, or the ability to grasp the true nature of things; it is the gift of wisdom that allows one to perceive what is hidden or complex and respond in accordance with God's truth.
This verse echoes Proverbs 20:5 by comparing deep thoughts and intentions to hidden waters that are hard to access, emphasizing the mystery of a person's inner life.
1 Kings 10:1-13The Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon illustrates this principle, as she came with hard questions to 'test' him and draw out his wisdom, finding his understanding to be even greater than she had heard.
Luke 8:4-18Jesus' parable of the sower and the meaning he gives later speaks to the hiddenness of understanding and the importance of receptive hearts for wisdom to be drawn out and take root.
1 Corinthians 2:10-16Paul explains how the Spirit of God searches all things, revealing the deep things of God, mirroring the idea that true understanding requires a divine ability to draw out hidden truths.
barnesProverbs 20:5: "Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out."
The contest between reticence on the one side and pertinacity in search on the other is represented as by a parable. The well may be very deep (compare the marginal reference), but the man of understanding" has enough skill to draw up the water even to the last drop. Every question is, as it were, a turning of the windlass.
bensonProverbs 20:5: "Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out."
Proverbs 20:5 . Counsel in the heart of man — Either, 1st, Ability to give counsel; or, 2d, The design or purpose of doing something of importance; for the word עצה , here rendered counsel, is frequently used in both senses, but the latter seems most proper here; it is like deep water — Is there in great abundance, or is secret and hard to be discovered; but a man of understanding will…
What's easily missed is that the "counsel" isn't just about giving advice, but about discerning a person's true inner motives and purposes. Just like drawing water requires skillful effort and the right tools, understanding someone's heart takes insightful questions and careful observation.
This proverb comes right after a warning about the difficulty of finding truly faithful and trustworthy people. It then shifts to discuss the hidden depths within a person's thoughts and intentions – just like the concealed water at the bottom of a well. The following verses continue this theme of discernment, advising us to be cautious about judging people based on first impressions and to recognize that true worth is not always obvious.
This proverb comes right after a warning about the difficulty of finding truly faithful and trustworthy people. It then shifts to discuss the hidden depths within a person's thoughts and intentions – just like the concealed water at the bottom of a well. The following verses continue this theme of discernment, advising us to be cautious about judging people based on first impressions and to recognize that true worth is not always obvious.
"The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out." — What's easily missed is that the "counsel" isn't just about giving advice, but about discerning a person's true inner motives and purposes. Just like drawing water requires skillful effort and the ri…
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Last reviewed October 2026