Proverbs 14:24

24 The crown of the wise [is] their wealth; the folly of fools is folly.

Proverbs 14:24 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 14:24

The crown of the wise [is] their riches
Riches being used by them to increase and improve their knowledge and wisdom, and for the good of men, are an honour to them, and give them credit and reputation among men of sense and goodness; see ( Ecclesiastes 7:11 Ecclesiastes 7:12 ) ; [but] the foolishness of fools [is] folly;
mere folly, extreme folly, just the same as it was; riches make them never the wiser; yea, their folly is oftentimes made more manifest through the ill use they make of their riches; spending them in the gratification of their sinful lusts; and making no use of them for their own improvement in knowledge, or for the good of their fellow creatures. The Targum is,

``the glory of fools is their folly;''
and that is no other than their shame, and in which they glory; such fools are wicked men.

Proverbs 14:24 In-Context

22 Have they not erred, those who plan evil? But loyalty and faithfulness [belong to] those who plan good.
23 In all toil, there is profit, but the {talk} of lips [leads] only to poverty.
24 The crown of the wise [is] their wealth; the folly of fools is folly.
25 He who saves lives [is] a witness of truth, but he who utters lies [is] a betrayer.
26 In the fear of Yahweh, there is confidence of strength, and for his children, there will be refuge.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.