= Proverbs 19 * Please see [[nsv:license|License]] for Copyright notice and Licensing information. * [ [[Proverbs_18|Previous]] | [[Proverbs_20|Next]] ] == Proverbs 19 1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. 3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the Lord. 4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. 5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. 6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. 7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him. 8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. 9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish. 10 Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. 11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. 12 The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass. 13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. 14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the Lord. 15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. 16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die. 17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. 18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. 19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. 20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. 22 The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. 23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. 24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. 26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. 27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. 28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. 29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools. == Notes == Cross Reference == Concordance == Commentary == Rashi ==== Verse 2 It is also not good that a soul be without knowledge It is not good for a person to be without Torah. and he who hastens with his feet sins The sinner treads and tramples the sins with his heels and says, “This is of minor import; I will transgress it.” And our Sages explained: It is also...without knowledge, as referring to one who compels his wife to copulate with him against her will. and he who hastens with his feet sins This refers to one who performs the sex act and repeats it. Another explanation: One who walks on grass on the Sabbath. ==== Verse 3 A man’s folly perverts his way Harm comes upon him because of his sin, because his folly perverts his way and he commits sins for which he is punished; and when the trouble befalls him, his heart is wroth with the Holy One, blessed be He, and he questions the Divine standard of justice, e.g. Joseph’s brothers, who said (Gen. 42:28): “What is this that God has done to us?” ==== Verse 4 Wealth adds many friends Heb. רעים רבים, many lovers. And it can be interpreted as concerning one who learned Torah. ==== Verse 6 The great will beg the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend All become friends to a man who gives gifts. This may be interpreted as referring to those who give charity, and it may also be interpreted as referring to those who disseminate the Torah. ==== Verse 7 All the kinsmen of a poor man lit. the brothers, the kinsmen. surely his friends distance themselves Surely his friends, his companions, and his lovers. he pursues statements that are fit for him He says, “So-and-so and so-and-so are my relatives. So-and-so and so-and-so are my friends.” And all are words of futility. This can be interpreted as concerning one who is poor in Torah and in good deeds. he pursues statements which are futile He seeks to promulgate the halachah, but it is not in his possession. The midrash interprets it as concerning Joseph, who spread slander about his brothers. He would say to his father that they were suspected of [eating] limbs from a living animal. Therefore, they hated him, and he was called a poor man because he would spread false rumors about them and look for statements that were not true (לא המה). We read לו, “to him,” for he would pursue statements for his own benefit, and in Joseph’s matter, they were his, because his slander returned upon him. He would say that they ate limbs from a living animal, but Scripture testifies about them that even in the time of sin, they would slaughter a kid, as it is said: (Gen. 37:31) “and they slaughtered a kid.” He would say that they degraded the sons of the maidservants. Therefore, Joseph was sold as a slave. He would say that they gazed upon the women of the land. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, “By your life, I will incite a bear upon you.” Therefore, (ibid. 39:7) “his master’s wife lifted, etc.” [This appears] in Genesis Rabbah [see 84:7]. ==== Verse 10 Pleasure does not befit a fool, much less a slave It is derived by an a fortiori conclusion that it does not befit a slave to rule over princes. ==== Verse 11 It is good sense for a man to be slow to anger Heb. האריך, like להאריך, to be slow. If he did so, it is good sense for him. and it is his glory that he pass over his retaliations. ==== Verse 12 The King’s fury is like a lion’s roar [The fury of] the Holy One, blessed be He. ==== Verse 13 a constant dripping lit. a driving drip. [As] the dripping of the rain that falls in the house disturbs and drives out the inhabitants of the house, so are the quarrels of a bad wife. ==== Verse 15 Laziness causes one to fall into a deep sleep Laziness causes one to fall asleep. This is the figure, but the allegory is that it concerns one who neglects his studies; it will ultimately come about that people will ask him words of wisdom, and he will be sound asleep. and a deceitful soul shall suffer hunger He will ultimately become poor. Similarly, one who is deceitful in his studies, making his Torah into “bundles,” will ultimately forget. ==== Verse 16 He who keeps a commandment keeps his soul; he who despises his ways will die He does not take heed to weigh them. ==== Verse 17 He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him his reward When he becomes ill and is close to death, his charity defends him before the Divine standard of justice, saying, “The poor man’s soul was struggling to leave him because of hunger, and this one sustained it. I, too, will return his soul to him.” ==== Verse 18 Chastise your son for there is hope, but do not set your heart on his destruction Do not deal him a lethal blow. ==== Verse 19 A hot-tempered man incurs punishment, etc. But if you pass over your anger and save your enemy if you see harm coming to him, you will yet increase your days and have much goodness. ==== Verse 22 The attraction to a man is his kindness The main reason why people are attracted to a person is because of his kindness. and a poor man is better than a liar And if he is a liar, who promises but does not perform, a poor man is better than he. ==== Verse 23 and he will rest satisfied He who fears the Lord will rest, satisfied that he will not be visited by any evil. ==== Verse 24 A lazy man hid his hand in a kettle Heb. בצלחת, in a hot kettle, in which, when removed from the fire and emptied, one may warm his hand. Similar to it in Chronicles (II 35:13): “they cooked in pots, in cauldrons, and in kettles (בצלחות),” In the name of Rabbi Isaac HaLevi I heard that בצלחת is derived from the expression of the Aramaic translation of ויבקע “and he split,” which is וצלח. At the time of the cold and the frost, since the cold and the frost crack and split the hands. [Hence, we render: A lazy man hid his hand in winter.] But I heard that is a rend of a cloak called fenditura [in Italian, in German Riss, Spalt, Schlitz], i.e., he hides it in his bosom. ==== Verse 25 Beat a scorner, and a simple man will gain cunning Through the plagues visited upon Pharaoh and the war with Amalek, Jethro gained cunning and converted. ==== Verse 26 A son who causes shame and disgrace robs his father, puts his mother to flight Heb. יבריח, puts his mother to flight. A son who causes shame and disgrace Whose ways are disgraceful. Since Sarah saw the son of the Egyptian maidservant making sport with idolatry and adultery, he caused his mother to be sent away, “and the matter displeased Abraham” (Gen. 21:11). ==== Verse 27 My son, cease to stray, etc. This is an elliptical verse, and this is its explanation: My son, cease to stray from words of knowledge in order to hear discipline. cease to stray Heb. לשגות, like מלשגות, from straying. Likewise, (Num. 9:13): “and refrains (וחדל) from performing (לעשות) the Passover service.” Also, (Gen. 41:49): “they stopped counting (לספר).” ==== Verse 28 A godless witness testifies judgment He testifies against a man [with] the rhetoric of the judgments of tortures and death. but violence will devour the mouth of the wicked The violence will swallow him up. ==== Verse 29 are prepared for the scorners The Holy One, blessed be He, prepared punishments of zaraath for this scorner who slanders.