Proverbs 10:21

21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.

Proverbs 10:21 in Other Translations

21 The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.

21 The words of the godly encourage many, but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

21 The talk of a good person is rich fare for many, but chatterboxes die of an empty heart. Fear-of-God Expands Your Life

21 The lips of the righteous feed many; But the foolish die for lack of understanding.

21 The lips of a righteous person feed many, but stubborn fools die because they have no sense.

21 The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense.

21 The words of those who do right benefit many people. But those who are foolish die because they have no sense.

Proverbs 10:21 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 10:21

The lips of the righteous feed many
Not their bodies; words are but wind, and will not feed; it is not enough to say to the distressed, "be ye warmed and filled", and give nothing; unless this can be understood of obtaining food for others by their prayers, as Jarchi interprets it: but the souls of many; these the righteous feed, by communicating the spiritual knowledge and understanding of divine things they are partakers of; by setting before them the bread of life, the honey and milk of the Gospel, they have under their tongue; and by the good counsel and advice, comforts and admonitions, they give them; see ( Jeremiah 3:15 ) ( Song of Solomon 4:11 ) ; but fools die for want of wisdom:
not a corporeal death, which is common to men of every rank and quality; wise men die even as fools; but they continue under the power of a spiritual death, for want of enlightening and quickening grace, and so die an eternal death: not for want of natural wisdom, which they may have a greater share of than those who live spiritually and eternally; but for want of spiritual wisdom and knowledge; the knowledge of Christ, and the way of life and salvation by him, and the knowledge of God in Christ; and not always for the want of the means of such wisdom and knowledge; as the Scriptures, which are able to make a man wise unto salvation; and the Gospel, which is the wisdom of God in a mystery; but through the neglect and contempt of them: though sometimes men perish through want of the means of knowledge, and the neglect of those who should instruct them, ( Hosea 4:6 ) .

Proverbs 10:21 In-Context

19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

21 The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense.

22 The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it.

23 A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

Cross References

• 1. Proverbs 5:22-23; Isaiah 5:13; Jeremiah 5:4; Hos 4:1,6,14