Proverbs Chapter 10

Starting on Chapter 10 of the book of Proverbs.   I'm going to have to do something different moving forward.  Take it a few at a time I guess.  Small chunks of wisdom.   

10:1

The proverbs of Solomon: 

A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.

I have 3 daughters, two who are on their own.  As a parent, I pride myself on their doing well and being successful in life as adults.  One will struggle however, and brings me grief.  So, I know the feeling.  

I think the proverb is meant to go a little deeper.  The advice is YOU be the man (or woman) that would make your parents proud.  Being a fool, straying off the straight and narrow path will make your life difficult.  That will bring your parents grief and leave you dependent on them.

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10:2

Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness brings deliverance from death.

Ill-gotten treasures = riches gotten by dishonest means - stealing.  

Righteousness = keeping to a high moral standard.  It keeps you blameless.  Being honest keeps you blameless.  Being blameless keeps you free from sin and the wrath of others.

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10:3

The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the craving of the wicked.

God takes care of the righteous.  He turns his back on the wicked.

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10:4

Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

People who work hard go further.  The lazy go without.  

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10:5

He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

There is a time for work and a time for play.  

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Living wisely or living the good life requires us to follow certain moral standards.  Working hard and taking care of your responsibilities.  Preparing for the winter, so to speak.  The righteous finds favor with God and man and remains blameless among men.  

The fool is lazy.  He is dependent on others as he is unprepared for the difficult times, and acquires his riches through dishonest means, tries to hide his wrongdoings.  He is a disgrace and a burden on his parents.

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10:6

Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

God blesses the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals his violent deeds.  The wicked man lies, tries to hid his deeds gets caught in a web created by his own actions.   The righteous man has no need to hide anything.

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10:7

The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

I think these two proverbs go good together.  As if one leads to the other.  

God blesses the righteous, he will be remembered with love and respect.  His life will go smoothly.  His reward will be great.  He will live in peace and security.

The wicked man will not.  He will get caught up in a web of his lies, trying to cover up his evil deeds.  He will be found out.  His name will ruined.  He will not be held in high regard in front of God and Man.  His life will be full of trouble.  

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10:8

A wise heart will receive commandments, but foolish lips will come to ruin.

If there is one thing the wise man does know, it's that he doesn't know everything and that there is always room to learn more.   He is eager and willing to learn.  Willing to take it all in.  Willing to learn to do things the right way.  Willing to learn and follow God's commandments.  

The fool will run his mouth to the point of putting his foot in it.  He doesn't want to hear the right way to do things.  He thinks he knows everything.  

It's amazing how much we can pull out of one of these proverbs.  It's amazing how much of it is relevant in modern day life.  I can look over my time and think about a number of the fools I have had to deal with during my life.  I know so many people who have dug their own holes and fell in them.  I deal with them all the time.  But I think I'll get more out of it if I focus on some of the stupid things I have done.  

I can't fix others.  I can only fix me.  I can only learn for my own benefit and give a little back when I am able.  If I can do something to make life a little easier for someone else, great.

I also had another thought.  I thought that if I find wisdom, I will no longer be able to use my ignorance as an excuse.  It's like the path of least resistance isn't always the best way but it is the easiest.  Ignorance is bliss.  It helps us to live a simpler life, but it also says that wisdom is a blessing or a virtue.     

I'm doing this because God wants me to know it.  If we seek wisdom we shall find it, and that's a scary thought because once we find it we become responsible for living it.  

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10:9

He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.

He who is honest, and holds himself to high moral standards "walks securely" because he does not bring blame upon himself.  People are not seeking revenge on him.  

The fool is just the opposite.  He tries to get ahead dishonestly or by taking advantage of others, but eventually gets caught.  

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10:10

He who winks the eye causes grief, and foolish lips will come to ruin.

One who winks their eye, is usually trying to get others to go along with it.  And he who runs his mouth, eventually runs into trouble.  

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10:11

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

The difference between those who accept and honor God, and those who reject him.  

The righteous accepts God and will therefore be rewarded with everlasting life.

The fool rejects God, tries to get others to go along with his wicked ways, and tries to cover his deeds.

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10:12 

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.

Love and hate.

Hate - makes you angry, seek revenge, want to punish others because of their whatever.  Always causing trouble.

Love - makes you so that you can just move on.  You can forgive.  You can look past it.  So that you don't get stuck on it.  So that you can live happily.

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10:13

Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks judgment.

Discerning - Good judgement = wisdom.  

Bad judgment - fool= punishment.

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10:14

The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool invites destruction.

The wise man knows that he doesn't know everything and is always willing to know more.  He delights in this.

The fool thinks he already knows everything, and that his way is the best way, then falls when everything goes wrong.  He didn't want to hear better ideas and destroys himself in the process.

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10:15

The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

The rich man can use his wealth to protect himself and advance himself in life.  The poor man's poverty drags him down and makes him defenseless.  

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10:16

The labor of the righteous leads to life, but the gain of the wicked brings punishment.

Work has it's rewards, payment, integrity.

The gain of the wicked - theft, dishonest means, will catch up to him eventually

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10:17

Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who ignores reproof goes astray.

There is always room to learn more.  If you accept this you will do well.  Those who already think they know everything end up going astray.

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10:18

The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

He who conceals hatred?  Keeps it to himself while plotting?  I don't know.  The fool runs his mouth, spreads slander and angers people while doing it.

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10:19

When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

People who talk too much tend to get themselves into trouble.  While the wise man takes it all in, learns what's going on and acts in the best possible way.

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10:20

The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked has little worth.

The wise man speaks because he has something to say, something to offer.  His words are valuable and helpful.  The wicked is not worth listening to.  His words will get you into trouble.  

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10:21

The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of judgment.

Same as above.  The wise man has something to say that will be beneficial.  The fool has to say something, and don't bother to understand the problem before they get into it, and suffer the consequences.

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10:22

The fool delights in shameful conduct, but a man of understanding has wisdom.

A fool is often proud of himself, or thinks what he does is funny.  The wise man works to understand what he's getting himself into.

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10:24

What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted.

The wicked man dreads getting caught, exposure of his wicked deeds, being found out.  The desire of the righteous will be granted, because his desires are in accordance with God's will.

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10:25

When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, but the righteous are secure forever.

God walks with the righteous.  He protects them from the wicked.  The wicked will get caught eventually.  

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10:26

Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the slacker to those who send him.

If you are lazy, it will irritate others.

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10:27

The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be cut short.

The fear of the LORD means that you accept and believe in God and accept that wisdom comes from him.  If you keep his commandments you will live longer.  If you are evil, you will die sooner.

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10:28

The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectations of the wicked will perish.

The righteous live in peace and joy, the evil do not, they live in fear and anger.

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10:29

The way of the LORD is a refuge to the upright, but destruction awaits those who do evil.

Living and accepting God's commandments  is wisdom, it keeps you safe and blameless.  The evil will be destroyed by their own doing.

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10:30

The righteous will never be shaken, but the wicked will not inhabit the land.

Righteousness brings rewards.   Evil brings punishment.

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10:31

The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.

The wise man doesn’t have much to say.  The evil man talks all the time.

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10:32

The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.