Proverbs 10

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Proverbs 10

1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

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

3 The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked.

4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

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

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

7 The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot.

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

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

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

11 The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

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.

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

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

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

17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

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

19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.

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

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

22 The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

23 It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

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

27 The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

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

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

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

31 The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.

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

Notes

Cross Reference

Concordance

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 1

<html>Proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes his father happy This is the Holy One, blessed be He (Midrash); another explanation: his actual father. but a foolish son is the grief of his mother He is always with his mother at home, and she sees his foolishness and is troubled. And according to the allegory, a foolish son, like Jeroboam the son of Nebat, is the grief of his mother, the grief of his nation.</html>

Verse 2

<html>Treasures of wickedness will not avail For he was boasting with his riches, as it is stated (Hosea 12:9): “And Ephraim said: Surely I have become rich, etc.” but charity will save from death And if you ask, “A righteous man who squanders his property for charity—from where will he sustain himself?”</html>

Verse 3

<html>The Lord will not starve the soul of the righteous [This is the answer to the previous question.] but the destruction [wrought by] the wicked will cast [them] down It will thrust them down and cause them to fall.</html>

Verse 4

<html>A poor man makes a deceitful scale Whoever is impoverished in [his knowledge of] Torah promulgates false decisions. deceitful scales Scales of deceit. According to its simple meaning, it refers to merchants. and the hand of those who make true decisions The upright, who decide a matter truly and justly without injustice.</html>

Verse 6

<html>but violence shall cover the mouth of the wicked The violence shall cover their mouths and kill them.</html>

Verse 7

<html>The mention of a righteous man is for a blessing Whoever mentions a righteous man blesses him. but the name of the wicked shall rot Decay develops in their name, for no one wishes to mention his [the wicked man’s] name, and it is automatically forgotten.</html>

Verse 8

<html>The wise-hearted takes commandments This alludes to our teacher, Moses, for all Israel were busy with the plunder of Egypt, and he was busy with the commandments, as is it said (Exod. 13:19): “And Moses took Joseph’s bones, etc.” but he who talks foolishly will weary Heb. ילבט, an expression of weariness. It appears in Sifre, in the section commencing (Num. 11:1): “And the people were as complainers.” They said, “How much have we wearied (נתלבטנו) on the way!”</html>

Verse 9

<html>will be broken Heb. יודע, will be broken and chastised, as in (Jud. 8:16): “And with them he broke (ויודע) the men of Succoth.”</html>

Verse 10

<html>He who winks his eye causes grief That is the one who entices a person to evil with his winks.</html>

Verse 11

<html>The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked, etc. Their mouth conceals the violence that is in their heart, for they talk smoothly with their lips, but hatred is hidden in their heart. Now the interpretation of this verse is not the same as the above verse (8); the context is indicative of their meaning.</html>

Verse 12

<html>Hatred arouses quarrels Even a sin that was forgotten is remembered though additional iniquities. The final hatred comes and arouses them, for Ezekiel reproved Israel for the transgressions of Egypt (Ezek. 20:7), “And I said to them, ‘Every man shall cast away the abominations of his eyes, etc.’” How many (years was) this hatred hidden, that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not mention it to them until now, when they added transgressions to their sins. but love covers all transgressions When Israel improves their deeds, the Holy One, blessed be He, conceals their transgressions.</html>

Verse 13

<html>Wisdom is found in the lips of the understanding When a person reproves an understanding individual, he replies to him, “I have sinned,” e.g. David, who said to Nathan, “I have sinned” (11 Sam. 12:13). but a rod is for the body of one devoid of sense But one who is devoid of sense does not listen until he is smitten, like Pharaoh.</html>

Verse 14

<html>Wise men store up knowledge They guard it in their heart so that they do not forget it.</html>

Verse 15

<html>The wealth of the rich in Torah. is the city of his strength to him. the destruction of the poor is their poverty The poverty that they did not engage in the Torah is their destruction.</html>

Verse 16

<html>The act of the righteous is for life [This is to be understood] according to its apparent meaning, but the Midrash Aggadah states: Solomon performed the construction of the Temple for the life of Israel, for their atonement. what the wicked bring in What Manasseh brought in, for he brought in the image—that was for sin.</html>

Verse 17

<html>The way to life He who keeps discipline—that is the way to life. but he who forsakes reproof misleads himself and others.</html>

Verse 18

<html>He who covers up hatred has false lips The flatterer has false lips, and he hides hatred in his heart. and he who spreads slander is a fool Heb. דבה, a rumor about his friend, about which people will converse (דובבין).</html>

Verse 19

<html>In a multitude of words, transgression will not be avoided He who talks too much brings on sin. and he who holds back his lips he is wise.</html>

Verse 20

<html>The tongue of the righteous is choice silver for he knows how to reprove. the heart of the wicked is worth little for he does not heed the reproof of the righteous man. Midrash Rabbi Tanhuma (Ki Thissa 6) states: This was stated concerning Iddo the prophet, who called [in prophecy] about the altar in Beth-El, and Jeroboam, although his hand had become stiff, did not heed the reproof, as it is said (I Kings 13:6): “Entreat now the Lord your God, etc.”; but not “my God, etc”; (ad loc.): “and the king’s hand was drawn back to him, and it was as before.” Just as before, he was standing and burning sacrifices to idols, so was it at the end.</html>

Verse 21

<html>The lips of the righteous will feed many, etc. Many eat in his merit and because of his prayer.</html>

Verse 22

<html>The blessing of the Lord will bring riches, etc. One need not toil to gain wealth, for it is enough with the blessing that He blesses him.</html>

Verse 23

<html>As it is sport for a fool to carry out a sinful plot Heb. זמה, a plot of sins. [so is] wisdom like sport to a man of understanding; i.e., in his eyes, it is easy to do.</html>

Verse 24

<html>The dread of a wicked man that will befall him What he fears will befall him. The generation of the Dispersion said, “Lest we scatter” (Gen. 11:4), and their end was that it is written (ibid. 8), “And the Lord scattered them from there.” but the desire of the righteous He will grant He Who has the power to grant it.</html>

Verse 25

<html>When the whirlwind passes, the wicked man is no more Suddenly the fury of a whirlwind comes, and the wicked man is cut off from his place.</html>

Verse 28

<html>The expectation of the righteous [will result in] joy Eventually, it will be realized, and they will rejoice. but the hope of the wicked shall be lost for it will not come.</html>

Verse 29

<html>The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the innocent, but ruin for those who work iniquity For they do not follow it, and it exacts retribution from them.</html>

Verse 30

<html>The righteous will not collapse forever When he collapses, his collapse is not a permanent collapse, but he will fall and rise.</html>

Verse 31

<html>The mouth of the righteous man speaks wisdom Heb. ינוב, speaks, an expression of (Isa. 57: 9): “the speech (ניב) of the lips.”</html>

Verse 32

<html>the lips of a righteous man know how to please They know how to please and placate his Creator, and they know how to please the people and how to make peace among them.

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Table of Contents

Proverbs 10

Proverbs 10

Notes

Cross Reference

Concordance

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 1

Verse 2

Verse 3

Verse 4

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 10

Verse 11

Verse 12

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 15

Verse 16

Verse 17

Verse 18

Verse 19

Verse 20

Verse 21

Verse 22

Verse 23

Verse 24

Verse 25

Verse 28

Verse 29

Verse 30

Verse 31

Verse 32