Proverbs 19
19
1 # ch. 28:6 Better is a poor person who #ch. 14:2; 20:7; Ps. 26:1, 11walks in his integrity
than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
2Desire#19:2 Or A soul without knowledge is not good,
and whoever #[ch. 21:5; 28:20; 29:20]makes haste with his feet misses his way.
3When a man’s folly #[ch. 11:3] brings his way to ruin,
his heart #[Ps. 37:7; Isa. 8:21; Rev. 16:11]rages against the Lord.
4 # ch. 14:20 Wealth brings many new friends,
# ch. 14:20 but a poor man is deserted by his friend.
5 # [ch. 12:19; 21:28]; See Deut. 19:16-19 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who #See ch. 6:19breathes out lies will not escape.
6Many seek the favor of a generous man,#19:6 Or of a noble
and everyone is a friend to a man who gives #See ch. 17:8gifts.
7 # [ver. 4] All a poor man’s brothers hate him;
# [Ps. 38:11] how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.#19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew sentence is uncertain
8 # [ch. 15:32] Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will #ch. 16:20discover good.
9 # [See ver. 5 above] A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who #[See ver. 5 above]breathes out lies will perish.
10 # [ch. 17:7; 26:1] It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for #ch. 30:22; Eccles. 10:6, 7a slave to rule over princes.
11 # See ch. 14:29 Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
12A king’s wrath is like #ch. 20:2; [ch. 16:14, 15; 28:15] the growling of a lion,
but his #ch. 14:35 favor is like #Ps. 133:3; Hos. 14:5; Mic. 5:7dew on the grass.
13 # ch. 10:1; 17:21 A foolish son is ruin to his father,
and #See ch. 21:9 a wife’s quarreling is #ch. 27:15a continual dripping of rain.
14 # [2 Cor. 12:14] House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is #ch. 18:22from the Lord.
15 # See ch. 6:9-11 Slothfulness casts into #Job 4:13 a deep sleep,
and #[ch. 10:4; 20:4, 13; 23:21]an idle person will suffer hunger.
16Whoever #[ch. 13:13; Luke 10:28]keeps the commandment keeps his life;
he who despises his ways will die.
17 # [ch. 22:9; 28:27; Eccles. 11:1; Matt. 10:42; Heb. 6:10]; See Deut. 15:7-10; Matt. 25:40; 2 Cor. 9:6-8 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he #[Luke 6:38] will repay him for his #See ch. 12:14deed.
18 # See ch. 13:24 Discipline your son, for there is hope;
do not set your heart on #[ch. 23:13]; See Deut. 21:18-21putting him to death.
19A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
20Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom in #Ps. 37:37the future.
21 #
Ps. 33:10, 11 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but #Job 23:13; Isa. 14:26, 27 it is the purpose of the Lord #Isa. 46:10that will stand.
22What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
and a poor man is better than a liar.
23The fear of the Lord #ch. 10:16; 11:19; [Isa. 38:5; Mark 10:30] leads to life,
and whoever has it rests #[Ps. 25:13] satisfied;
he will #[Lev. 26:6]not be visited by harm.
24 # ch. 26:15; [ch. 15:19; 20:4] The sluggard buries his hand in #[Matt. 26:23; Mark 14:20]the dish
and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
25 # ch. 21:11 Strike #See Ps. 1:1 a scoffer, and the simple will #See Deut. 13:6-11 learn prudence;
# [ch. 9:8] reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is #ch. 10:5; 17:2a son who brings shame and reproach.
27Cease to hear instruction, my son,
# [2 Pet. 2:21] and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked #Job 15:16; [ch. 18:8; Job 34:7]devours iniquity.
29Condemnation is ready for #[See ver. 25 above] scoffers,
and #ch. 10:13; 18:6; 26:3beating for the backs of fools.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Proverbs 19
19
1Better to be poor and walk in integrity
than rich and crooked in one’s ways.#Prv 28:6.
2Desire without knowledge is not good;
and whoever acts hastily, blunders.#When not guided by wisdom, appetite—or desire—is not good. “Running feet” (so the Hebrew) miss the mark, i.e., do not reach their destination.
3Their own folly leads people astray;
in their hearts they rage against the Lord.#One’s own folly destroys one’s life. It is an indication of that folly that one blames God rather than oneself.
4Wealth adds many friends,
but the poor are left friendless.#Prv 14:20; Sir 13:20–23.
5The false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever utters lies will not escape.#The punishment fits the crime: those who abuse the legal system will be punished by the same system. They will not be acquitted. #Dt 19:16–20; Dn 13:61.
6Many curry favor with a noble;
everybody is a friend of a gift giver.
7All the kin of the poor despise them;
how much more do their friends shun them!#Closely related to vv. 4 and 6. An observation, not without sympathy, on the social isolation of poor people.
8Those who gain sense truly love themselves;
those who preserve understanding will find success.#Wisdom benefits the one who practices it.
9The false witness will not go unpunished,
and whoever utters lies will perish.
10Luxury is not befitting a fool;
much less should a slave rule over princes.
11It is good sense to be slow to anger,
and an honor to overlook an offense.#The paradox is that one obtains one thing by giving up another.
12The king’s wrath is like the roar of a lion,
but his favor, like dew on the grass.#An observation on the exercise of royal power. Both images suggest royal attitudes are beyond human control. Colon A is a variant of 20:2a and colon B of 16:15b. #Prv 20:2.
13The foolish son is ruin to his father,#Prv 10:1; 17:25.
and a quarrelsome wife is water constantly dripping.#One of many sayings about domestic happiness. The perspective is male; the two greatest pains to a father is a malicious son and an unsuitable wife. The immediately following saying is on the noble wife, perhaps to make a positive statement about women.
14Home and possessions are an inheritance from parents,
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.#Prv 18:22.
15Laziness brings on deep sleep,
and the sluggard goes hungry.#Prv 6:9–10.
16Those who keep commands keep their lives,
but those who despise these ways will die.#Prv 13:13; 16:17.
17Whoever cares for the poor lends to the Lord,#Prv 14:21; 22:9; 28:27.
who will pay back the sum in full.
18Discipline your son, for there is hope;
but do not be intent on his death.#The pain of disciplining the young cannot be compared with the danger no discipline may bring. The chief reason for disciplining the young is their capacity to change; excluded thereby are revenge and punishment. #Prv 13:24; 23:13–14.
19A wrathful person bears the penalty;
after one rescue, you will have it to do again.
20Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
that you may eventually become wise.
21Many are the plans of the human heart,
but it is the decision of the Lord that endures.#Prv 16:9.
22What is desired of a person is fidelity;
rather be poor than a liar.#The proverb has been read in two ways: (1) “Desire (greed) is a shame to a person,” which assumes the rare Hebrew word for “shame” is being used; (2) “What is desired in a person is fidelity.” The second interpretation is preferable. The context may be the court: better to forego money (a bribe) than perjure oneself.
23The fear of the Lord leads to life;
one eats and sleeps free from any harm.
24The sluggard buries a hand in the dish;
not even lifting it to the mouth.#Prv 26:15.
25Beat a scoffer and the naive learn a lesson;
rebuke the intelligent and they gain knowledge.#Prv 17:10; 21:11.
26Whoever mistreats a father or drives away a mother,
is a shameless and disgraceful child.#Children who disgrace the family equivalently plunder their father’s wealth and expel their mother from the home. #Sir 3:16.
27My son, stop attending to correction;
start straying from words of knowledge.#The meaning was disputed even in antiquity. The interpretation that most respects the syntax is to take it as ironic advice as in 22:6: to stop (listening) is to go (wandering).
28An unprincipled witness scoffs at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked pours out iniquity.
29Rods are prepared for scoffers,
and blows for the backs of fools.#Prv 26:3.
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