[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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.
Proverbs 10 Bible Commentary
John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes
Verse 2
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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
[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.