The interpretation timeline

Prov 20:24

How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.

From the early Church Fathers to now.

Prov 20:24 · Douay-Rheims
“The steps of man are guided by the Lord: but who is the man that can understand his own way?”
Patristic before A.D. 750
407
A.D.
John Chrysostom Patristic
A.D. 347–407
“"The steps of man are directed by God." A mortal, that is a sinner [as such], cannot [of himself] know the ways of the Lord; in fact, since he is mortal, he has [of yet] neither died nor lived with Christ. Therefore in the journey to the kingdom of heaven the steps of man are directed by the Lord.”
420
A.D.
Jerome Patristic
c. A.D. 347–420
“You maintain that "all are governed by their own free choice." What Christian can bear to hear this? For if not one, or a few or many but all of us are governed by our own free choice, what becomes of the help of God? And how do you explain the text, "A man's goings are ordered by the Lord"?”
430
A.D.
Augustine of Hippo Patristic
A.D. 354–430
“Do they suppose, accordingly, that God moves the wills of those whom he has wished to the creation of earthly kingdoms but that he does not move them to the attainment of a heavenly kingdom? But I think that it was in reference to the kingdom of heaven, rather than to an earthly kingdom, that it was said … "The steps of a man are guided by the Lord, but how does a mortal understand his own ways?" Let them hear, "Every man seems just to himself, but the Lord directs the hearts." Let them hear, "As many as were ordained to life everlasting believed." Let them hear these words, and whatever others I have not quoted, by which it is shown that God prepares and converts people's wills also for the kingdom of heaven and for eternal life. And think how strange it would be for us to believe that God moves people's wills for the establishment of earthly kingdoms but that for the attainment of the kingdom of heaven people move their own wills.”
Source
305 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
735
A.D.
Bede Patristic
A.D. 673–735
“The steps of a man are directed by the Lord. Whosoever among men walks the right path, this is not done by the liberty of human will, but by the governance of Him to whom Isaiah says, For you have worked all our works in us (Isaiah...).”
735
A.D.
Bede Patristic
A.D. 673–735
“Who among men can understand his way? In this, he says, it is manifestly clear that whatever good anyone has, he does not have it from himself, but by the grace of God, which neither by his own free will can he understand what he will be, nor how or how long he will live.”
Modern · 1953 →

The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.