Proverbs 19:23

23 Fear-of-God is life itself, a full life, and serene - no nasty surprises.

Proverbs 19:23 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 19:23

The fear of the Lord [tendeth] to life
"Godliness", of which the fear of the Lord is a principal part, has "the promise of this life and that to come", ( 1 Timothy 4:8 ) : the fear of God is the beginning of a spiritual life; and it leads to eternal life, as Gersom observes, and is connected with it; and [he that hath it] shall abide satisfied;
with his lot and portion in this life; with the good things of it he has, being content therewith and "godliness with contentment is great gain", ( 1 Timothy 6:6 ) : such a man has enough; he has all things in a spiritual sense; he is full of the blessings of goodness; he is blessed with all spiritual blessings; his mouth is satisfied, and his mind is filled with good things; and so he rests and abides night after night, and day after day; he shall not be visited with evil;
nothing shall hurt him; all his afflictions, his worst things, his evil ones: work together for his good; and they shall never separate from the love of God, nor anything that befalls him in this life, ( Romans 8:28 Romans 8:38 Romans 8:39 ) ; see ( Psalms 91:10 ) .

Proverbs 19:23 In-Context

21 We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God's purpose prevails.
22 It's only human to want to make a buck, but it's better to be poor than a liar.
23 Fear-of-God is life itself, a full life, and serene - no nasty surprises.
24 Some people dig a fork into the pie but are too lazy to raise it to their mouth.
25 Punish the insolent - make an example of them. Who knows? Somebody might learn a good lesson.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.