Bible Commentaries
Proverbs 10

Verse 2

Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Of wickedness — Such as are got by any sort of wicked practices.

Death — Often from temporal, and always from eternal death.

Verse 5

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

Gathereth — The fruits of his field.

In summer — In harvest. He that improved the opportunities of doing good to himself and others.

Verse 6

Blessings are upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

Violence — Their own violence or injustice. This may be an allusion to the ancient custom of covering the mouths and faces of condemned malefactors.

Verse 8

The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.

Who receive — Is ready to hear and obey the precepts of God and men.

Fall — Into mischief.

Verse 9

He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

Surely — Or, securely, or confidently, as the word properly signifies; quietly resting upon God’s favour and gracious providence for his protections.

Known — His wickedness shall be publickly discovered.

Verse 10

He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow: but a prating fool shall fall.

Winketh — That secretly designs mischief against others, as this phrase is used, Psalms 35:19.

Verse 13

In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

Wisdom — This wisdom shews itself in his speech.

A rod — Rebukes from God and men.

Verse 14

Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

Lay up — In their minds, to be brought forth upon fit occasions.

Knowledge — Whereby they may be enabled to speak both what, and when it is seasonable.

But — Fools are more forward to lay out than to lay up, and for want of knowledge speak much and foolishly, whereby they frequently bring destruction upon themselves.

Verse 15

The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

Wealth — It often redeems him from dangers and calamities.

Poverty — Is the cause of their ruin.

Verse 16

The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

The labour — The fruit of his labour, to the preservation of this life, and obtaining eternal life.

Fruit — The fruit of all their labour tends to sin, and serves only for fuel to mens pride and luxury.

Verse 18

He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

Lying lips — With flattering words. He here condemns two opposite vices, secret hatred, and manifest slander.

Verse 20

The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.

Is — Of great worth and use.

Heart — And consequently the tongue.

Verse 21

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

Feed — By their wise discourses and counsels.

Die — They have not wisdom to preserve themselves, much less to feed others.

Verse 26

As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

So — Unserviceable and vexatious.

Verse 28

The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

Gladness — Shall be accomplished, and turned into enjoyment.

Verse 29

The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

The way — The way of God’s precepts.

Strength — Gives strength, support, and protection.

Verse 30

The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.

Never be removed — They shall live happily here, and eternally in heaven.

The earth — They shall not have so much as a quiet abode upon earth; much less shall they have any possession in heaven.

Verse 32

The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable: but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

The lips — Knowledge is here ascribed to the lips, as it is to the hands, Psalms 78:72, because they are conducted by knowledge and wisdom.

Acceptable — What is truly worthy of acceptation.