Proverbs 10:1-32
10 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise son makes a glad father,
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.
2Treasures of wickedness profit nothing,
But righteousness delivers from death.
3The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish,
But He casts away the desire of the wicked.
4He who has a slack hand becomes poor,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5He who gathers in summer is a wise son;
He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.
6Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
7The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.
8The wise in heart will receive commands,
But a prating fool will fall.
9He who walks with integrity walks securely,
But he who perverts his ways will become known.
10He who winks with the eye causes trouble,
But a prating fool will fall.
11The mouth of the righteous is a well of life,
But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
12Hatred stirs up strife,
But love covers all sins.
13Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,
But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding.
14Wise people store up knowledge,
But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.
15The rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
16The labor of the righteous leads to life,
The wages of the wicked to sin.
17He who keeps instruction is in the way of life,
But he who refuses correction goes astray.
18Whoever hides hatred has lying lips,
And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
19In the multitude of words sin is not lacking,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.
20The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
The heart of the wicked is worth little.
21The lips of the righteous feed many,
But fools die for lack of wisdom.
22The blessing of the Lord makes one rich,
And He adds no sorrow with it.
23To do evil is like sport to a fool,
But a man of understanding has wisdom.
24The fear of the wicked will come upon him,
And the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more,
But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.
26As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy man to those who send him.
27The fear of the Lord prolongs days,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.
28The hope of the righteous will be gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked will perish.
29The way of the Lord is strength for the upright,
But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.
30The righteous will never be removed,
But the wicked will not inhabit the earth.
31The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
But the perverse tongue will be cut out.
32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
But the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary – Proverbs 10:1-32
Proverbs contrasting righteous and wicked living (chaps. 10–15)
10:1. On the proverbs of Solomon, see “Authorship and Date” in the Introduction. With Solomon having authored chapters 1–9 (see 1:1) and chapters 25–29 (see 25:1), along with 10:1–22:16, he wrote about 84 percent of the book, all of it of course being inspired by the divine Author, the Holy Spirit.
A wise son is contrasted here with “a foolish son,” in 13:1 with a mocker, and in 15:20 with a foolish man. A son who has become wise, by heeding his parents’ teachings (5:1–2), brings joy to his father, a fact stated several times in Proverbs (15:20; 23:15, 24; 27:11; 29:3). A foolish (kesîl; see comments on 1:7) son, on the other hand, grieves his mother. This does not mean that a foolish son does not grieve his father, as is clearly stated in 17:21, 25; 19:13. Nor does 10:1 mean that a mother’s heart is not gladdened by a son’s wisdom. The use of “father” in one line and “mother” in the other is typical of proverbial literature. Both parents experience either the joy or the grief, just as both are involved in teaching (1:8; 4:3–4; 6:20).
10:2. To say that treasures are of no value seems like a startling, almost contradictory statement until one remembers that the treasures are ill-gotten (cf. 1:19; 28:16; Micah 6:10), gained unjustly (cf. Prov. 16:8) by theft or deceit. An example of this is addressed in 1:11–14, 18–19. Such treasures are no good because they dwindle away (13:11; 21:6) and do not forestall death (11:4). Of course money acquired dishonestly may provide some pleasure and be valuable for a while but in the long run it does not satisfy.
10:3. Verses 3–5 discuss diligence and sloth. Satisfaction of one’s appetite is related to the Lord (v. 3); poverty and wealth result from laziness and diligence, respectively (v. 4); industry characterizes a wise son and sleep characterizes a shameful son (v. 5). The righteous is literally, “the soul of the righteous.” Since “soul” emphasizes the whole person, God has said here that He meets all one’s needs, including the needs of his body for food (cf. Ps. 37:19, 25). The craving of the wicked refers to their evil desires to bring about destruction and disaster. God can keep them from carrying out such plans. Like many verses in Proverbs, this verse is a generalization. It is usually true that the godly do not starve and that the wicked do not get all they desire.
10:4–5. If a person refuses to work he will be poor (a word used often in Prov.), whereas a hard worker eventually is rewarded. (Besides laziness other reasons for poverty are mentioned in Prov. See comments on 14:23.) One example of diligence and therefore of wisdom (wise is from the verb śāḵal meaning “to be prudent or to have sound judgment”; cf. 1:3; 16:20) is harvesting in the summer while the crops are ripe. An example of laziness is a son who sleeps rather than works during harvest (in contrast with the ants, 6:6–11). In fact such a person brings shame (the meaning of disgraceful), probably to his parents.
10:6. Whereas a righteous person receives blessings, it is different with the wicked. Violence overwhelms his mouth. The same statement is made in verse 11. Since the word for “overwhelms” can be translated “covers” (as it is in v. 12), the idea is either that his mouth conceals or deceptively hides violence (niv marg.), or that violence characterizes what a person says. As Jesus stated, “The evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart” (Luke 6:45).
10:7. Speaking of blessings and the righteous (v. 6), even thinking about righteouspeople of the past can be a source of spiritual blessing. By contrast most people want to forget the wicked. Like their character, even their names are corrupt, rotting like a corpse.
10:8–9. A wise person is teachable, willing to become wiser (cf. 1:5; 9:9). But a fool(’ěwîl, a coarse, hardened fool; see comments on 1:7; cf. 10:21) does not quit chatteringlong enough to learn anything. In Proverbs needless talking is often associated with folly. Such a person comes to ruin, a phrase repeated only two verses later (v. 10; cf. 13:3). “Ruin” is mentioned five times in chapter 10 (vv. 8, 10, 14–15, 29). An honest person (v. 9) is secure (cf. a similar thought in 3:23; 18:10; 28:18) in his walk (his conduct) but a person whose paths are crooked (lit., “twisted”), whose conduct is wicked, in contrast with a person of integrity, eventually will be discovered for what he truly is.
10:10. Verses 10–12 deal with interpersonal relations. Winking maliciously with one’s cohorts suggests sinful intentions (cf. 6:13; 16:30; Ps. 35:19). No wonder this leads to grief on the part of the victims of their evil plans, or the victim’s loved ones. Yet a talkative fool will himself eventually get into trouble (cf. the same line in Prov. 10:8b).
10:11. The words of a righteous (and wise) person are like a fountain of life (cf. 13:14; 14:27; 16:22; also note 18:4). His words of wisdom are free-flowing and as refreshing as a cool spring to a weary desert traveler. On the second part of 10:11; see comments on verse 6b.
10:12. Hatred results in dissension (cf. 6:14) because people who despise each other can hardly work or live together in peace. Love contributes toward peace because it covers or forgives the faults of others (cf. 17:9). It does not dwell on those faults (cf. 1 Cor. 13:5; James 5:20; 1 Peter 4:8). “Covers” is kāsâh, the same word rendered “overwhelms” in Proverbs 10:6, 11. A wicked one’s words are covered over with violence, but a righteous person covers up wrongs by forgiving the wrongdoers.
10:13–14. These statements contrast the wise and the fool. While the discerningperson is characterized by his wise statements, one lacking judgment (cf. v. 21; 6:32; 7:7; 9:4, 16; 11:12; 12:11; 15:21; 17:18; 24:30; 28:16) experiences trouble. He may be punished by a rod on the back (cf. 14:3; 26:3). A wise person stores up knowledge; he holds it in for the right occasion without spouting off his knowledge. What a fool says, however, causes him trouble and eventually ruin because he foolishly speaks the wrong things and gets himself in trouble (cf. 10:19).
10:15–16. These verses are together because they both discuss wealth. The first line of verse 15 is repeated in 18:11. Though wealth should not be placed above honor (28:20) and should not be trusted in (11:4; 23:5), it can provide a hedge against some disasters. Poverty is a continually suppressive problem to the poor (cf. 14:20; 18:23; 19:7; 22:7). The Hebrew word here for poor is dal, “feeble, weak, helpless,” translated “poor” or “helpless” in 19:4, 17; 21:13; 22:16; 28:3, 8, 11, 15; 29:7, 14. Proverbs also uses several other words for “poor” and “poverty.”
Wages (10:16) refers not to money but to the natural result or “return” for righteous living. That result is a meaningful life (cf. 3:18, 21–22; 4:4; 7:2a). But the wicked reap trouble (Gal. 6:7).
10:17. The word life links verses 16 and 17. A person who learns from discipline is an example to others of the way to a meaningful life, whereas those who refuse to learn from discipline cause others to go astray. One’s conduct affects not only himself but others as well, either favorably or unfavorably.
10:18. Each of verses 18–21 refers to some aspects of talking. The subject of hatredwas introduced in verse 12, and in verse 18 another thought is added to the subject. When a person hates someone but tries not to show it he is often forced to lie. And hatred often leads to slandering the other who is despised. The second line in verse 18 begins with and rather than “but,” to show that the two thoughts of hatred and slanderare not opposites. Such lying and slandering, born out of hatred, characterize a fool.
10:19. Constant talking will eventually lead to sin and get a person into trouble (cf. “chattering” in vv. 8, 10; also note Jas 3:2–8). This is obviously folly because the ability to keep silent is wise (cf. Prov. 11:12).
10:20. In contrast with the degrading talk of the wicked (lying, slandering, and gabbing, vv. 18–19) the words (tongue) of the righteous are uplifting and therefore are valued like choice silver. However, with the wicked not even their thoughts (heart) have value, let alone their words!
10:21. The word “tongue” links verses 19 and 20, the word lips unites verse 21 with verse 18, and the righteous ties verses 20 and 21 together. One of the reasons righteous words are valuable (v. 20) is that they nourish or benefit others spiritually. Death comes to those who are fools (’ěwîl; cf. v. 8 and see comments on 1:7) because they lack judgment (cf. 6:32; 7:7; 9:4, 16; 10:13; 11:12; 12:11; 15:21; 24:30; 28:16). Since the first part of 10:21 refers to talking, the second part probably implies that fools lack judgment in what they say. Their wrong kind of talking does not even nourish themselves; they are left spiritually undernourished and starved.
10:22. After the word “Lord” the Hebrew adds the word “it” for emphasis. So the first line reads, The blessing of the Lord, it brings wealth. The second line affirms the idea that wealth given by the Lord (to the righteous and diligent) is not accompanied by trouble, the tragedies of ill-gotten gain (cf. v. 2).
10:23. Most of verses 23–32 contrast the righteous and the wicked. A fool (kesîl, a thickheaded person; see comments on 1:7) enjoys sinning, whereas the wise prefer wisdom. This contrast between evil conduct and wisdom shows that wisdom in the biblical sense is moral in nature.
10:24–25. By stressing repeatedly in Proverbs that disaster comes to the wicked and various rewards are for the righteous, Solomon sought to convince the uninitiated and naive that the long-range, not the immediate, fruits of wisdom and folly should be kept in view. Many wicked people dread calamity and they receive it! And the righteous often receive what they want, namely, blessing. God is the ultimate Source of both. A stormcan come suddenly, bringing disaster to the wicked by destroying their lives and property (cf. 1:27; 6:15; 29:1), but the righteous are more secure (cf. 10:9, 30; 12:3).
10:26. Just as vinegar (made from wine) is sour tasting, and as smoke irritates the eyes, so a sluggard (see comments on 6:6–11) aggravates his employers, those who send him to do some work or go on an errand. He is aggravating because he fails to carry out his responsibilities.
10:27–30. These verses mention several blessings that come to the righteous: long life … joy, safety, and security. Usually the wicked have none of these, when seen from the perspective of eternity. Longevity for the righteous and the brief lives of the wicked are frequent themes in Proverbs (3:2, 16; 4:10; 9:11; 14:27; 15:24). On the fear of the Lord see comments on 1:7 (also cf. 2:5; 3:7; 8:13; 9:10; 14:26–27; 15:16, 33; 16:6; 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; 24:21). Joy comes to those who love the Lord, but the desires of the wicked for joy are not fulfilled (cf. 10:24; 11:7). By going in the way of the Lord, that is, by following His standards, the righteous have a refuge of safety (mā‘ôz; cf. Ps. 31:2, 4; Nahum 1:7). They are secure in the land (cf. Prov. 10:9, 25) but the wicked are not (cf. 2:21–22).
10:31–32. These two verses also address the subject of talking (cf. vv. 11–14, 18–21). The righteous speak wise words (cf. v. 11). Brings forth is literally, “bears fruit.” As a tree naturally brings forth fruit so wise words are a natural result of uprightness (cf. Luke 6:43–45). Thus they are fitting or appropriate (see comments on Prov. 10:14). Perverse, used in both verses 31 and 32, means to be turned away from what is normal (cf. 2:12).
God in all His holiness is only your creator until you accept Him. After you accept Him, He becomes your God, your Father, your creator. He will cleanse you of your sins and accept you into the kingdom of His heaven and hear your prayers.
Love God with all your heart, all your mind, and all your soul. Also, love your neighbor as you love yourself.
God is testing us every day and has given us the right to make our own choices. Do you know which ones are the right choices in God’s mind?
Fear God, love God, honor God, and trust God with all your heart, mind and soul and you will receive and experience the joy of the promises of God’s blessings in His time. And always remember to ask the Father for His help and guidance in all things.
Prayer: Father blessed is your Holy name. We are grateful for Your Son our risen Christ and Your Spirit. We praise You for the opportunity to glorify Your Son and live with Him forever. We also praise you for the opportunity to be able to choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior and to be elect children of Yours. We praise you for the laws You have set down to teach us, to keep our lives in harmony, to learn how to treat others and how to live within your boundaries. Please bless those who have read this article for they too are seeking Your righteous truth, love, wisdom and understanding.
Father, I pray these brothers and sisters have or will come to realize that Your existence is a treasure of grace and love that You have for all Your elect children.
May God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Christianity be our guiding lights for eternity. Let it be Your will Lord not mine. Please come Lord Jesus.
I pray in Jesus sweet name and to His glory through the power of The Holy Spirit,
Amen.
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