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Proverbs 14

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The Wise and Foolish Woman 1–11

1
Every wise woman buildeth her house; But the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands. ​
2
He that walketh in his uprightness feareth Jehovah; But he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him. ​
3
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod forhispride; But the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
4
Where no oxen are, the crib is clean; But much increase is by the strength of the ox.
5
A faithful witness will not lie; But a false witness uttereth lies.
6
A scoffer seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not; But knowledge is easy unto him that hath understanding.
7
Go into the presence of a foolish man, And thou shalt not perceive in him the lips of knowledge.
8
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way; But the folly of fools is deceit.
9
A trespass-offering mocketh fools; But among the upright there is good will. ​
10
The heart knoweth its own bitterness; And a stranger doth not intermeddle with its joy. ​
11
The house of the wicked shall be overthrown; But the tent of the upright shall flourish.

The Danger of Self-Deception 12–14

12
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man; But the end thereof are the ways of death. ​
13
Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; And the end of mirth is heaviness. ​
14
The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways; And a good manshall be satisfiedfrom himself. ​

The Simple and the Prudent 15–19

15
The simple believeth every word; But the prudent man looketh well to his going. ​
16
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil; But the fool beareth himself insolently, and is confident. ​
17
He that is soon angry will deal foolishly; And a man of wicked devices is hated.
18
The simple inherit folly; But the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19
The evil bow down before the good; And the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.

Wealth, Poverty, and Compassion 20–25

20
The poor is hated even of his own neighbor; But the rich hath many friends. ​
21
He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth; But he that hath pity on the poor, happy is he. ​
22
Do they not err that devise evil? But mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.
23
In all labor there is profit; But the talk of the lipstendethonly to penury.
24
The crown of the wise is their riches; But the folly of fools is only folly. ​
25
A true witness delivereth souls; But he that uttereth lies causeth deceit.

The Fear of the Lord: True Security 26–27

26
In the fear of Jehovah is strong confidence; And his children shall have a place of refuge. ​
27
The fear of Jehovah is a fountain of life, That one may depart from the snares of death.

Principles of Governance 28–35

28
In the multitude of people is the king’s glory; But in the want of people is the destruction of the prince. ​
29
He that is slow to anger is of great understanding; But he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. ​
30
A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh; But envy is the rottenness of the bones. ​
31
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker; But he that hath mercy on the needy honoreth him. ​
32
The wicked is thrust down in his evil-doing; But the righteous hath a refuge in his death.
33
Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding; Butthat which isin the inward part of fools is made known.
34
Righteousness exalteth a nation; But sin is a reproach to any people. ​
35
The king’s favor is toward a servant that dealeth wisely; But his wrath will beagainsthim that causeth shame.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Proverbs 14

Verse 1

Every wise woman buildeth her house — 'Wise' is the plural chokmoth, the same word as Wisdom herself in 'Wisdom hath builded her house' (Prov 9:1). To build a house is to raise up a family, as Ruth 4:11 says of Rachel and Leah, 'which two did build the house of Israel'. The foolish one pulls hers down 'with her hands'.

Verse 2

walketh in his uprightness — Yosher is straightness. Against it stands the man 'perverse in his ways', from luz, to turn aside, the word behind 'the froward is abomination to the LORD' (Prov 3:32). The fear of the LORD shows in the walk: 'he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him' (Acts 10:35).

Verse 9

Fools make a mock at sin — 'Sin' is asham, guilt, the name also of the trespass offering (Lev 5:15), so the fool laughs at the very thing that needed an offering. 'Favour' is ratson, goodwill or acceptance, the word in 'shall obtain favour of the LORD' (Prov 8:35).

Verse 10

his own bitterness — Literally 'the bitterness of his soul' (nephesh); morrah, bitterness, is found only here. Only the heart knows it, as 'what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?' (1 Cor 2:11). Hannah 'was in bitterness of soul' (1 Sam 1:10), and a stranger has no share in a man's joy either.

Verse 12

seemeth right — Yashar is straight, the root of 'uprightness' in v.2: the way looks straight to the man walking it. The same proverb is repeated in Prov 16:25. 'The ways of death' is plural, and Christ describes the same road as 'broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction' (Matt 7:13).

Verse 13

Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful — Sechoq, laughter, is the word of 'I said of laughter, It is mad' (Eccl 2:2). 'End' is the same acharith as in v.12. 'Heaviness' (tugah) is the word of 'My soul melteth for heaviness' (Ps 119:28); James 4:9 reverses the order: 'let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.'

Verse 14

backslider in heart — Sug, to turn back, is the verb of 'Our heart is not turned back' (Ps 44:18). He is 'filled with his own ways', as Prov 1:31 says: 'shall they eat of the fruit of their own way'. The good man is satisfied by what comes from him in the same way: 'A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth' (Prov 12:14).

Verse 15

The simple believeth every word — The pethi is the open, untaught person of Prov 1:4, 'to give subtilty to the simple', and he takes any word as true. The prudent 'looketh well' (bin, to discern) to his 'going', his step: 'The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way' (v.8). John gives the same test, 'try the spirits whether they are of God' (1 John 4:1).

Verse 16

feareth, and departeth from evil — The two belong together in 'fear the LORD, and depart from evil' (Prov 3:7). The fool 'rageth' (abar, to pass over, to overstep) 'and is confident': batach is the verb of 'Trust in the LORD with all thine heart' (Prov 3:5), here given to the wrong object.

Verse 20

The poor is hated even of his own neighbour — 'Neighbour' (rea) is a companion. The verb 'hated' is the one in 'All the brethren of the poor do hate him' (Prov 19:7). 'Friends' (ohavim) is literally 'lovers', those who love. Prov 19:4 says the same: 'Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.'

Verse 21

He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth — The 'neighbour' is the same rea as in v.20, so this verse names as sin what v.20 describes as the way of the world. 'Happy' (ashre) is the word of 'Blessed is the man' (Ps 1:1). Mercy to the poor is counted as a loan to the LORD: 'that which he hath given will he pay him again' (Prov 19:17).

Verse 24

The crown of the wise is their riches — Wisdom also offers riches: 'Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness' (Prov 8:18; osher in both). The second line reads literally 'the folly of fools is folly': the fool's folly pays him only in folly, as 'the simple inherit folly' (v.18).

Verse 26

strong confidence — Oz is strength and mibtach is a place of trust. 'Refuge' (machaseh) is the word of 'God is our refuge and strength' (Ps 46:1), where it stands beside oz as it does here. That shelter reaches beyond the one who fears the LORD to 'his children'.

Verse 28

the king's honour — Hadarah is adornment, splendour. A great population is a king's glory, as in Solomon's reign: 'Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude' (1 Kings 4:20). 'Want of people' (epheç, an ending, a coming to nothing) is the 'destruction of the prince'.

Verse 29

slow to wrath — Literally 'long of nostrils', erek aph, the 'longsuffering' of the LORD's own name in Ex 34:6. Its opposite is the 'hasty of spirit', literally 'short of spirit'. The patient man has 'great understanding' (tebunah); 'He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty' (Prov 16:32).

Verse 30

A sound heart — Literally 'a heart of healing' (marpe), the word for 'health' in 'the tongue of the wise is health' (Prov 12:18). 'Envy' (qinah) is jealousy, and it brings 'the rottenness of the bones', the figure of Prov 12:4 for a wife who shames her husband and of 'rottenness entered into my bones' (Hab 3:16).

Verse 31

reproacheth his Maker — 'Maker' is oseh, the one who made him, as in 'the LORD is the maker of them all' (Prov 22:2). Prov 17:5 uses the same two verbs: 'Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker'. To honour him is to 'hath mercy on the poor'.

Verse 34

Righteousness exalteth a nation — Tsedaqah. The verb 'exalteth' (rum) is the one in 'exalteth folly' (v.29): one thing raises a nation, the other raises folly. The law was given as such a measure: 'what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law' (Deut 4:8).