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Proverbs 10:14-24

Listen to Proverbs 10:14-24
14 The wise 1lay up knowledge, but 2the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.
15 3A rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
16 The wage of the righteous leads 4to life, the gain of the wicked to sin.
17 Whoever heeds instruction is on 5the 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 6When words are many, transgression is not lacking, 7but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
20 The tongue of the righteous is 8choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.
21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for 9lack of sense.
22 10The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. [a]
23 Doing wrong is 11like a joke to a fool, but 12wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.
24 13What the wicked dreads 14will come upon him, but 15the desire of the righteous will be granted.

Proverbs 10:14-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 10

From this chapter to the "twenty fifth" are various proverbial sentences, without any very apparent connection or coherence with each other; describing righteous and wicked men; setting forth their different temper, conduct, and actions, and the fruits and effects of them. It should be observed, that frequently in the preceding chapters two persons are represented as women; one goes by the name of "Wisdom", the other is called the "foolish" woman and a "harlot"; the former is clearly to be understood of Christ; and the latter, being opposed to him, must be antichrist, the whore of Rome, and mother of harlots: now in the following part of this book two sorts of persons are spoken of; the one as wise, righteous, good and the other as foolish, wicked, &c. who are no other than the followers of Christ and antichrist; which observation is a key to the whole book.

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Cross References 15

  • 1. 10:14 [ver. 8; ch. 12:23]
  • 2. 10:14 ch. 18:7
  • 3. 10:15 ch. 18:11; [Ps. 52:7; Mark 10:24, 25]
  • 4. 10:16 ch. 11:19; 19:23
  • 5. 10:17 [ch. 6:23]
  • 6. 10:19 [Matt. 12:36, 37]
  • 7. 10:19 ch. 17:27; [James 3:2]
  • 8. 10:20 ch. 8:19; 16:16
  • 9. 10:21 [Hos. 4:6]
  • 10. 10:22 [Gen. 24:35; 26:12; Deut. 8:18]
  • 11. 10:23 ch. 2:14; 15:21
  • 12. 10:23 [ch. 8:30]
  • 13. 10:24 Isa. 66:4; Heb. 10:27; [Job 15:21]
  • 14. 10:24 Job 3:25
  • 15. 10:24 Ps. 145:19; Matt. 5:6; 1 John 5:14, 15

Footnotes 1

  • [a] 10:22 Or 'and toil adds nothing to it'
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025

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