Bible Commentaries
Proverbs 13

Verses 1-25

Verse Proverbs 13:2. Compare this with Proverbs 12:14. As the words of a good man benefit himself as well as others, so the evil deeds of transgressors react upon themselves.

Verse Proverbs 13:5. The contrast here between the wicked and the righteous is intense, in that concerning the righteous man the proverb simply states he hateth lying; concerning the wicked it declares that he becomes loathsome. That is to say, a righteous man keeping himself separate from wickedness hates lying. An evil man giving himself over to lying or other forms of sin becomes hated by others.

Verse Proverbs 13:8. That is to say that if wealth has its advantages, so also has poverty. The rich man by his wealth may be able to conserve his life, but the poor man escapes the very dangers into which the rich are brought.

Verse Proverbs 13:14. In this proverb the words "depart from the snares of death" interpret the action of such as obey the law. Thus by obedience to law a man departs from the snares of death, and so law becomes a fountain of life.

Verse Proverbs 13:19. The reason that desire is not accomplished is declared in the second part of this proverb. Men will not pay the price of departing from evil, and so fail of the sweetness of fulfilled desire.

Verse Proverbs 13:23. This is the declaration of an abiding truth that there is sustenance in the land, but men are excluded from it by injustice.