Proverbs 14:1-35
14The wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
2He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord,
But he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.
3In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
But the lips of the wise will preserve them.
4Where no oxen are, the trough is clean;
But much increase comes by the strength of an ox.
5A faithful witness does not lie,
But a false witness will utter lies.
6A scoffer seeks wisdom and does not find it,
But knowledge is easy to him who understands.
7Go from the presence of a foolish man,
When you do not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
8The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,
But the folly of fools is deceit.
9Fools mock at sin,
But among the upright there is favor.
10The heart knows its own bitterness,
And a stranger does not share its joy.
11The house of the wicked will be overthrown,
But the tent of the upright will flourish.
12There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
13Even in laughter the heart may sorrow,
And the end of mirth may be grief.
14The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways,
But a good man will be satisfied from above.
15The simple believes every word,
But the prudent considers well his steps.
16A wise man fears and departs from evil,
But a fool rages and is self-confident.
17A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
And a man of wicked intentions is hated.
18The simple inherit folly,
But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19The evil will bow before the good,
And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor,
But the rich has many friends.
21He who despises his neighbor sins;
But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.
22Do they not go astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.
23In all labor there is profit,
But idle chatter leads only to poverty.
24The crown of the wise is their riches,
But the foolishness of fools is folly.
25A true witness delivers souls,
But a deceitful witness speaks lies.
26In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence,
And His children will have a place of refuge.
27The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To turn one away from the snares of death.
28In a multitude of people is a king’s honor,
But in the lack of people is the downfall of a prince.
29He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,
But he who is impulsive exalts folly.
30A sound heart is life to the body,
But envy is rottenness to the bones.
31He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,
But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
32The wicked is banished in his wickedness,
But the righteous has a refuge in his death.
33Wisdom rests in the heart of him who has understanding,
But what is in the heart of fools is made known.
34Righteousness exalts a nation,
But sin is a reproach to any people.
35The king’s favor is toward a wise servant,
But his wrath is against him who causes shame.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary – Proverbs 14:1-35
14:1. The wise woman and the foolish woman probably refer to individuals rather than to wisdom and folly personified as in 9:1, 13. Builds may not refer to constructing a physical house but caring for a household and causing it to flourish. Whereas a woman of wisdom builds up her household, a woman of folly lives in such a way that her household is neglected.
14:2. A person’s attitude toward the Lord—either fearing Him (see comments on 1:7) or despising Him—shows up in his behavior. His conduct is either upright or devious (cf. 2:15).
14:3. The talk of a fool (’ěwîl, one who is arrogant, hardened and thickheaded in his ways) results in his being punished with a rod (not the same word for rod in 13:24) on his back (cf. 10:13; 26:3). Wise words, however, protect a person from such punishment (cf. 13:3).
14:4. If a farmer has no oxen for plowing, the manger (animal food trough) in his barn is empty, that is, clean. But by spending time and money to feed and clean up after oxen, he will have plenty of food, an abundant harvest, because of the strong oxen’s plowing. Meaningful results of any kind require investing time, money, and work.
14:5. The contrast between true and false testimony is also mentioned in 12:17; 14:25. False witnessing in court is denounced in 19:5, 9; 21:28; 24:28; 25:18.
14:6. It is unusual to read in Proverbs that a mocker (see comments on 13:1) seeks wisdom, but this shows that lack of desire is not his problem so much as lack of meeting the primary condition, fearing the Lord (1:7; 9:10). Apparently mockers look for wisdom in the wrong places. Knowledge is easily acquired by people who have discernment in spiritual things. They know where to look for true knowledge.
14:7. Verses 7–9 all include statements about fools. Verse 7 is the first imperative statement in the section beginning with 10:1. Also 14:7 is written in synthetic parallelism for the second line explains the first line. Since one’s associations can influence him for good or bad (cf. 13:20), he ought to steer clear of being with the foolish (kesîl) for they speak without knowledge. They cannot offer the young anything of value.
14:8. The prudent (‘ārûm, “shrewd” in a good sense; cf. v. 18; see comments on 12:23) think things through and therefore are not easily deceived, but fools find that their own folly (cf. 14:18, 24, 29) trips them up. They think their ways are right (12:15).
14:9. When a fool sins, he makes fun of the idea of making amends for it. In contrast with fools who refuse to change their sinful ways are the upright who experience goodwill, that is, acceptance (on rāṣôn; see comments on 8:35) by God and man.
14:10. One’s inner pain (bitterness) and joy cannot be fully experienced by anyone else. They are individual, private feelings in one’s own soul.
14:11. Final destinies are the subject of verses 11–14. The wicked person’s house(meaning either his possessions or his family members) will be demolished (cf. 15:25) and will not last. On the other hand the upright’s tent (possessions or family members) will flourish (lit., “bud or sprout,” like a tree budding with blossoms or sending out shoots). This pictures growth, prosperity, and stability.
14:12. This verse is repeated verbatim in 16:25. A path (way of life) may seem right(level or straight) to some people. But because it leads to death it is the way of sin and folly (cf. 5:5, 23; 7:27; 9:18; 11:19; 21:25). Man cannot get away with sin.
14:13. By his laughter a person may give the impression that he is enjoying life when actually in his heart he is hurting emotionally (cf. v. 10; 15:13b). The words joy may end in grief refer either to the fluctuating nature of human emotions or to the idea that joy is seldom pure, untainted by any grief.
14:14. Both the wicked and the righteous—the faithless (lit., “backslider in heart”) and the good—will be recompensed in accord with their conduct (cf. 1:31). What they sow they will reap (Gal. 6:7).
14:15. Verses 15–18 speak of the way of the fool and begin and end with a reference to the simple and the prudent. The simple (peṯî, “naive, gullible”; see comments on 1:4) are easily influenced (see, e.g., 7:7–10, 21–23), but the prudent (‘ārûm; cf. 14:8, 18 and see comments on 12:23) think before they act.
14:16. The words the Lord are not in the Hebrew in this verse though perhaps they are implied. The verse is literally, a wise person fears … and shuns evil (cf. 3:7; 8:13; 16:6; Ps. 97:10). A fool, driven by his impetuous (hothead) nature, is wild (reckless) with regard to evil.
14:17. Quick-tempered connects this verse with the preceding one. Such a person does foolish things (cf. v. 29; 15:18). “Flying off the handle”—not controlling one’s temper—causes a person to do and say ridiculous things, which he may later regret and be unable to undo. Even more difficult to live or work with is a person who is crafty (cf. 12:2) or scheming (mezimmâh; see comments on 1:4). A person who schemes and works underhandedly to get his way and to oppose others is hated by others because he is untrustworthy. He goes astray (14:22).
14:18. Because of his gullibility the simple (cf. v. 15 and comments there) person receives folly, not wisdom (cf. v. 24). The opposite kind of person—the prudent (see comments on v. 8; cf. v. 15)—is blessed with more knowledge.
14:19. Evil men will bow down in the presence of … good men. Since this is seldom experienced now—it is usually the other way around—this verse may be speaking of the future when the wicked will be subject to the godly.
14:20–21. Verse 20 refers to people shunning their poor … neighbors. In verse 21 this is called sin. Besides the economic frustrations that come with poverty, poor people suffer socially as people often refuse to associate with them (cf. 19:4, 7). Verse 20 of chapter 14 contrasts this social problem of the poor with the fact that many people want to befriend the rich. Verse 21 contrasts showing hatred toward one’s poor neighbor with giving kindness. The attitude of despising (despises translates bûz, “to hold in contempt, to belittle, to ridicule”; cf. “scorns,” 13:13; see comments on 1:7) is sin, whereas being kind to the needy (cf. 14:31; 19:17; 28:27) brings blessing from the Lord.
14:22. This verse includes the first question in this section that begins with 10:1. A person who plots evil (on the word plot see comments on 3:29) errs from the path of upright living. Conversely a person who plans (plan is the same word as “plot”) goodactions for others (cf. “kind” in 14:21) is characterized by love (ḥeseḏ, “loyal love”) and faithfulness (cf. 3:3; 16:6; 20:28).
14:23. Hard work pays off (cf. 10:4; 12:11, 24) whereas people who merely talk about work become poor (cf. 6:10–11). Other causes of poverty mentioned in Proverbs are stinginess (11:24; 28:22), haste (21:5), hedonism (21:17), oppression (22:16), favoritism (22:16).
14:24. The wise are crowned, that is, blessed with wealth (cf. 3:16; 8:18, 21; 15:6; 22:4) because of their diligence (14:23), but foolish conduct results not in blessings but in more folly (cf. v.18).
14:25. Telling the truth when giving testimony in court can save lives from the death penalty, whereas false testimony, which deliberately deceives, may send the innocent to death or prison while wrongly acquitting the guilty. People who witness in court cases (cf. v. 5) are in a strategic position; they can have a great influence over other people’s lives.
14:26–27. These two verses are linked together as both refer to the fear of the Lord (see comments on 1:7). In 14:26 fearing Him provides security (cf. v. 32) and protection against a life of ruin for believers and also for their children who are influenced by their godly parents to fear God. In verse 27 fearing the Lord is a fountain of life (cf. 10:11; 13:14; 16:22), that is, one’s fear of the Lord assures longevity (cf. 3:2, 16; 9:10–11; 10:27; 15:24) for it protects from the snares of death(cf. 10:2b; 11:4b; 13:14b).
14:28. People are a king’s greatest resource. But having no one over whom to rule would make his high title and position worthless. A pompous title with no meaningful responsibilities draws little respect.
14:29. Being patient (cf. 16:32; 19:11) under trying circumstances evidences wisdom, but an impatient person who loses control of his temper (cf. 14:16–17) reveals folly. The Hebrew rûm (displays) means “to exalt or lift up for show.” Controlling one’s temper is always wise, and losing it is never wise!
14:30. A person’s emotions affect his physical condition, as it is well known today (cf. 15:13, 30; 17:22; 18:14). A heart at peace (or, “a mind of health,” i.e., a healthy disposition) helps produce a healthy body, but envy, an ardent agitating desire to have or achieve what one sees in others, produces adverse effects physically (on bones, see comments on 3:8).
14:31. To take advantage of poor people is like sinning against God (cf. 17:5) since God is the Maker of all people (cf. Job 31:13, 15) and because He defends the cause of the poor (Prov. 22:22–23). The righteous, wise person is kind to the poor (14:21; 19:17; 28:27) for this honors God.
14:32. Problems can be disastrous for the wicked (cf. 6:15) because they have no hope in the Lord. When the righteous, on the other hand, face death they have a refuge, namely, in God.
14:33. Wisdom is everywhere present (in the hearts of the wise and even among fools; cf. 1:20–22; 9:1–4) but she (again wisdom is personified as a woman; cf. comments on 1:20–33) receives various kinds of responses.
14:34. Righteousness among a group of people has a beneficial effect (exalts means “to lift up,” used here in a moral sense), but sin among them has an adverse effect (it is a disgrace, “reproach,” a word used only here and in Lev. 20:17). Though people may seem to be getting away with sin, ultimately it catches up with them and shames them.
14:35. A king is pleased when his servants are prudent (the word wise here means “prudent”), but if they are not prudent they cause him shame (the meaning of shameful; the word is also used in that way in 10:5; 19:26; 29:15) and he becomes angry with them. Wrath translates ‘eḇrâh, an outburst of anger. The same is true of employees today: prudence pays off and lack of it causes employers problems.
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.
ItLove 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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