Commentary on Proverbs
Proverbs 10
| Proverb | Reprint Commentary | Jewish Commentary | |
| 10:1 | A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother. | No commentary | This is the Holy One, blessed be He (Midrash); another explanation: his actual father. He is always with his mother at home, and she sees his foolishness and is troubled. And according to the allegory, a foolish son, like Jeroboam the son of Nebat, is the grief of his mother, the grief of his nation. Rashi |
| 10:2 | Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death. | No Commentary Available | For he was boasting with his riches, as it is stated (Hosea 12:8): And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become; I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.” And if you ask, “A righteous man who squanders his property for charity-from where will he sustain himself?” (Answer: Proverb 10:3) Rashi |
| 10:3 | The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger, But He will reject the craving of the wicked. | No Commentary Available | It will thrust them down and cause them to fall. Rashi |
| 10:4 | Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. | No Commentary Available | Whoever is impoverished in [his knowledge of] Torah promulgates false decisions. deceitful scales: According to its simple meaning, it refers to merchants. Rashi |
| 10:5 | He who gathers in summer is a son who acts wisely, But he who sleeps in harvest is a son who acts shamefully. | No Commentary Available | No Commentary Available |
| 10:6 | Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. | No Commentary Available | The violence shall cover their mouths and kill them. Rashi |
| 10:7 | The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot. | Name: Position of official relationship is meant where the word "name" is used.Wicked shall rot —Shall utterly pass from the memory of all forever. R48:2 | Whoever mentions a righteous man blesses him. Decay develops in their name, for no one wishes to mention his [the wicked man’s] name, and it is automatically forgotten. Rashi |
| 10:8 | The wise of heart will receive commands, But a babbling fool will be ruined. | No commentary Available | This alludes to our teacher, Moses, for all Israel were busy with the plunder of Egypt, and he was busy with the commandments, as is it said (Exod. 13: 19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, "God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you."Heb. ילבט, an expression of weariness. It appears in Sifre, in the section commencing (Num. 11:1): “And the people were as complainers.” They said, “How much have we wearied (נתלבטנו) on the way. |
| 10:9 | He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out. | No Commentary Available | Heb. יודע, will be broken and chastised, as in (Jud. 8:16): “And with them he broke (ויודע) the men of Succoth.” |
| 10:10 | He who winks the eye causes trouble, And a babbling fool will be ruined. | No Commentary Available | That is the one who entices a person to evil with his winks. Rashi |
| 10:11 | The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. | No Commentary Available | The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked, etc.: Their mouth conceals the violence that is in their heart, for they talk smoothly with their lips, but hatred is hidden in their heart. Now the interpretation of this verse is not the same as the above verse (8); the context is indicative of their meaning. Rashi |
| 10:12 | Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions. | Love covereth all sins —The disposition that exposes the imperfections of the brethren is surely not the love that covers. R5530:4 | Hatred arouses quarrels: Even a sin that was forgotten is remembered though additional iniquities. The final hatred comes and arouses them, for Ezekiel reproved Israel for the transgressions of Egypt (Ezek. 20:7), “And I said to them, ‘Every man shall cast away the abominations of his eyes, etc.’” How many (years was) this hatred hidden, that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not mention it to them until now, when they added transgressions to their sins. but love covers all transgressions: When Israel improves their deeds, the Holy One, blessed be He, conceals their transgressions. Rashi |
| 10:13 | On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, But a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding. | No Commentary Available | Wisdom is found in the lips of the understanding: When a person reproves an understanding individual, he replies to him, “I have sinned,” e.g. David, who said to Nathan, “I have sinned” (11 Sam. 12:13). but a rod is for the body of one devoid of sense: But one who is devoid of sense does not listen until he is smitten, like Pharaoh. Rashi |
| 10:14 | Wise men store up knowledge, But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand. | No Commentary Available | Wise men store up knowledge: They guard it in their heart so that they do not forget it. Rashi |
| 10:15 | The rich man's wealth is his fortress, The ruin of the poor is their poverty. | No Commentary Available | The wealth of the rich: in Torah. is the city of his strength: to him. the destruction of the poor is their poverty: The poverty that they did not engage in the Torah is their destruction. Rashi |
| 10:16 | The wages of the righteous is life, The income of the wicked, punishment. | No Commentary Available | [This is to be understood] according to its apparent meaning, but the Midrash Aggadah states: Solomon performed the construction of the Temple for the life of Israel, for their atonement. What Manasseh brought in, for he brought in the image-that was for sin. |
| 10:17 | He is on the path of life who heeds instruction, But he who ignores reproof goes astray. | No Commentary Available | He who keeps discipline-that is the way to life.but he who forsakes reproof misleads: himself and others. |
| 10:18 | He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool. | No Commentary Available | He who covers up hatred has false lips: The flatterer has false lips, and he hides hatred in his heart. and he who spreads slander is a fool: Heb. דבה, a rumor about his friend, about which people will converse דובבי. Rashi |
| 10:19 | When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise. | No Commentary Available | In a multitude of words, transgression will not be avoided: He who talks too much brings on sin. and he who holds back his lips: he is wise. Rashi |
| 10:20 | The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, The heart of the wicked is worth little. | No Commentary Available | The tongue of the righteous is choice silver: for he knows how to reprove.the heart of the wicked is worth little: for he does not heed the reproof of the righteous man. Midrash Rabbi Tanhuma (Ki Thissa 6) states: This was stated concerning Iddo the prophet, who called [in prophecy] about the altar in Beth-El, and Jeroboam, although his hand had become stiff, did not heed the reproof, as it is said (I Kings 13: 6): “Entreat now the Lord your God, etc.” ; but not “my God, etc” ; (ad loc.): “and the king’s hand was drawn back to him, and it was as before.” Just as before, he was standing and burning sacrifices to idols, so was it at the end. |
| 10:21 | The lips of the righteous feed many, But fools die for lack of understanding. | No Commentary Available | The lips of the righteous will feed many, etc.: Many eat in his merit and because of his prayer. Rashi |
| 10:22 | It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it. | Blessing of the LORD —Hidden in Christ, "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Col. 2:3) R2762:5 Jesus tenders to us, first, earthly rights and blessings, on the condition that we agree to sacrifice them, thus being accounted worthy to share with him in heavenly glory. R4463:6 In the Gospel age God does not promise earthly blessings, nor immunity from sickness, pain and persecution. R2761:1 Greater happiness accompanies a devoted life, though spent in poverty, than does any other course, surrounded by every luxury. R4091:3Few who possess earthly riches in advance of hearing of the truth, are likely to attain the high calling. R2761:2 It maketh rich —Not with the counterfeit riches of Laodicea—material prosperity and numbers of wealthy people. R2763:1 Regardless of the amount of the world's goods which one possesses.R5171:1 "He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich." (2 Cor. 8:9) R2761:4 We may have even now a foretaste of the riches of his grace and the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; also the riches of the holy Spirit. R2762:4 In noble sentiments, faith, love, good works, and God's blessing and providential care. R2762:6, R5171:4 Spiritual privileges and hopes in the present life, and spiritual glory and immortality in the life to come. R5170:3, R5171:1, R2762:6, R4463:1; CR57:6 The blessing of the Lord has not made rich the world, but will do so in God's due time. R4463:1, R5171:4; CR57:3 Addeth no sorrow —Though those who live godly will suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12), these are not of the Lord, though permitted by him. R4463:2 Sorrows are not of the Lord's providing or adding, but come as a result of sin and imperfection. R4463:2; CR57:6 Earthly riches of money and fame are subject to change and decay, and the heart which is too centered in these may be plunged into an abyss of sorrow and disappointment. R5862:1, R1820:2 | The blessing of the Lord will bring riches, etc.: One need not toil to gain wealth, for it is enough with the blessing that He blesses him. Rashi |
| 10:23 | Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, And so is wisdom to a man of understanding. | No Commentary Available | As it is sport for a fool to carry out a sinful plot: Heb. זמה, a plot of sins. [so is] wisdom: like sport to a man of understanding; i. e., in his eyes, it is easy to do. |
| 10:24 | What the wicked fears will come upon him, But the desire of the righteous will be granted. | No Commentary Available | The dread of a wicked man that will befall him: What he fears will befall him. The generation of the Dispersion said, “Lest we scatter” (Gen. 11:4), and their end was that it is written (ibid. 8), “And the Lord scattered them from there.”but the desire of the righteous He will grant: He Who has the power to grant it. |
| 10:25 | When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more, But the righteous has an everlasting foundation. | No Commentary Available | When the whirlwind passes, the wicked man is no more: Suddenly the fury of a whirlwind comes, and the wicked man is cut off from his place. |
| 10:26 | Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy one to those who send him. | No Commentary Available | No Commentary Available |
| 10:27 | The fear of the LORD prolongs life, But the years of the wicked will be shortened. | No Commentary Available | No Commentary Available |
| 10:28 | The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes | No Commentary Available | The expectation of the righteous [will result in] joy: Eventually, it will be realized, and they will rejoice. but the hope of the wicked shall be lost: for it will not come. Rashi |
| 10:29 | The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, But ruin to the workers of iniquity. | Only such as are puffed up with a sense of their own benevolence can hold that God never would be satisfied or happy if one of the race perished. God has gotten along very well without the sinners thus far, and could do so forever. It was not for selfish reasons that he redeemed all, and is about to restore all who will accept his favor in Christ. The expectation of the righteous [will result in] joy: Eventually, it will be realized, and they will rejoice.but the hope of the wicked shall be lost: for it will not come. But some attempt to evade the foregoing statements of Scripture with the claim that they refer to wickedness, and not to wicked people; that they mean that all wicked people will be destroyed by their conversion—by having their wickedness destroyed. We ask those who so think to read over these words of God again, carefully, and see that they could not, reasonably, be so construed. Notice that even though the Word mentioned nothing about the destruction of wicked doers, but merely mentioned the destruction of wickedness and wicked things, this would nevertheless include wicked doers; because, of all wicked things, intelligent, wilful evil-doers are the worst. But the Word does specify wicked persons; and all who are familiar with rules of grammar covering the question know that when the person is specified the destruction of his wickedness merely could not be meant. Contrary to the Universalist theory. R3083:3 | The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the innocent, but ruin for those who work iniquity: For they do not follow it, and it exacts retribution from them. Rashi |
| 10:30 | The righteous will never be shaken, But the wicked will not dwell in the land. | No Commentary Available | The righteous will not collapse forever: When he collapses, his collapse is not a permanent collapse, but he will fall and rise. Rashi |
| 10:31 | The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, But the perverted tongue will be cut out. | No Commentary Available | The mouth of the righteous man speaks wisdom: Heb. ינוב, speaks, an expression of (Isa. 57:9): “the speech (ניב) of the lips.” Rashi |
| 10:32 | The lips of the righteous bring forth what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked what is perverted. | No Commentary Available | the lips of a righteous man know how to please: They know how to please and placate his Creator, and they know how to please the people and how to make peace among them. Rashi |