Proverbs 10 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Proverbs 10

The Proverbs of Solomon

10:1 The proverbs of Solomon.

  A wise son makes a glad father,
    but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
2   Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
    but righteousness delivers from death.
3   The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry,
    but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
4   A slack hand causes poverty,
    but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
5   He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,
    but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
6   Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.¹
7   The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
    but the name of the wicked will rot.
8   The wise of heart will receive commandments,
    but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
9   Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
    but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
10   Whoever winks the eye causes trouble,
    and a babbling fool will come to ruin.
11   The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12   Hatred stirs up strife,
    but love covers all offenses.
13   On the lips of him who has understanding, wisdom is found,
    but a rod is for the back of him who lacks sense.
14   The wise lay up knowledge,
    but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.
15   A rich man’s wealth is his strong city;
    the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
16   The wage of the righteous leads to life,
    the gain of the wicked to sin.
17   Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life,
    but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.
18   The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
    and whoever utters slander is a fool.
19   When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
    but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
20   The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
    the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
21   The lips of the righteous feed many,
    but fools die for lack of sense.
22   The blessing of the LORD makes rich,
    and he adds no sorrow with it.²
23   Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool,
    but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
24   What the wicked dreads will come upon him,
    but the desire of the righteous will be granted.
25   When the tempest passes, the wicked is no more,
    but the righteous is established forever.
26   Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
    so is the sluggard to those who send him.
27   The fear of the LORD prolongs life,
    but the years of the wicked will be short.
28   The hope of the righteous brings joy,
    but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
29   The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the blameless,
    but destruction to evildoers.
30   The righteous will never be removed,
    but the wicked will not dwell in the land.
31   The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
    but the perverse tongue will be cut off.
32   The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
    but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse.

Footnotes

[1] 10:6 Or but violence covers the mouth of the wicked; also verse 11
[2] 10:22 Or and toil adds nothing to it

Commentary

v1-3: The scene is set for the rest of the book, chapters 10-29. There are two camps, the wise, living a righteous life, and the foolish, living a wicked life.

The practical wisdom of Proverbs presents a way of life full of wisdom derived from God's standards. It reflects a society where belief in God is central.

v1: The Jewish Talmud states; 'whosoever does not teach his son a trade, teaches him to steal.'

v4-5: Diligence contrasted with laziness, in sowing and reaping, bringing honour or dishonour to his father.

v6-7: Righteousness contrasted with wickedness. The righteous has blessing now and after death, 1 Tim 5.25; the wicked has judgment now as well as later.

v8-17: Characteristics of a wise man, seen especially in Christ.

v8: The wise man receives the commands of God; the fool suffers loss through his rejection of the ways of truth.

v9: The wise man walks with integrity, and finds security; the fool takes "crooked paths," implying deceit, and is exposed.

v10: The wise man avoids the bad attitudes of the fool, he avoids prattling, talking nonsense, inane and meaningless conversation, and avoids the wink of deceit.

v11: The wise men speaks the words of life; the fool speaks violence.

v12: The wise man enjoys a love that covers all wrongs, 1 Pet 4.8; in contrast the fool stirs up dissension.

v13: The wise man is discerning; the fool deserves punishment.

v14: The wise man seeks and stores up knowledge; the fool is ignorant, and only stores up ruin for himself.

v15: Proverbs speaks about the wealthy, those who enjoyed God's promised blessings. Such wealth provided security.

v16: The wise man is diligent, walking in ways of righteousness; the wicked receive the wages of sin, which is death.

v17: The wise man is teachable, and receives reproof. Those who refuse reproof suffer the consequences, and lead others astray.

v18-21: Good and bad words. One of the key themes in Proverbs is our words. It is a vital mark of practical godliness, Matt 12.36-37.

v18: We reject lies and slander; both are deliberate things, used to brings others down.

v19: The righteous uses few words; the fool is known for his much speaking.

The writer refers to the theme of 'rashness.' See 11.12; 12.16; 12.23; 12.26; 13.3; 14.15-17; 14.29; 15.2; 15.28; 17.9; 17.27; 18.2; 18.13.

The book of Proverbs maintains its distinction between wise and foolish. One mark of the foolish is that he is rash; the wise man is prudent; the word means ‘cunning,’ but is used in the sense of being thoughtful. This means that he thinks things through, considering the outcome of his actions.

The fool is described as one who lacks judgment, who speaks without thought, whose temper is quick and uncontrolled, who speaks much, but with little meaning.

v20: The righteous uses choice words; they may be few, but are a blessing.

v21: The righteous man's words feed others, and many others. The fool cannot feed himself, let alone others.

v22: God's blessings, not mixed with sorrows. In this section, the name of the Lord is mentioned only rarely.

v23-32: Contrasting the righteous and the wicked.

v23: The wicked finds his sport in doing evil.

v24: The righteous sets his heart on good things, and his desire is fulfilled; the wicked fears those things that he wishes on others.

v25: A foundation that is everlasting and secure.

v26: When the sluggard is sent with a message, he proves himself unworthy. The illustration is of bitterness and regret.

v27: The clear promise of the O.T., that the righteous would enjoy long life.

v28: The righteous does not fear God's judgment.

v29: The righteous find their security and refuge in the will of God. For the wicked, the will of God is something foreign, something to be feared.

v30: The righteous enjoy security in the land. Proverbs emphasises enjoyment of God's blessings today.

v31-32: Wisdom is acceptable to God, and good to others. In contrast, the wicked speaks perverse things; bad, corrupt, distorted, deceitful.