BIBLE CHAPTER STUDY
Proverbs 10 — Contrasts of the Righteous and the Wicked
A chapter of antithetical proverbs pairing the righteous with the wicked across speech, labor, wealth, and divine favor.
Scripture
1The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father; But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
2Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; But righteousness delivereth from death.
3Jehovah will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish; But he thrusteth away the desire of the wicked.
4He becometh poor that worketh with a slack hand; But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
5He that gathereth in summer is a wise son; But he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
6Blessings are upon the head of the righteous; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
7The memory of the righteous is blessed; But the name of the wicked shall rot.
8The wise in heart will receive commandments; But a prating fool shall fall.
9He that walketh uprightly walketh surely; But he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
10He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow; But a prating fool shall fall.
11The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
12Hatred stirreth up strifes; But love covereth all transgressions.
13In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found; But a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
14Wise men lay up knowledge; But the mouth of the foolish is a present destruction.
15The rich man's wealth is his strong city: The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
16The labor of the righteous tendeth to life; The increase of the wicked, to sin.
17He is in the way of life that heedeth correction; But he that forsaketh reproof erreth.
18He that hideth hatred is of lying lips; And he that uttereth a slander is a fool.
19In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression; But he that refraineth his lips doeth wisely.
20The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver: The heart of the wicked is little worth.
21The lips of the righteous feed many; But the foolish die for lack of understanding.
22The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich; And he addeth no sorrow therewith.
23It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness; And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.
24The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted.
25When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more; But the righteous is an everlasting foundation.
26As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, So is the sluggard to them that send him.
27The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
28The hope of the righteous shall be gladness; But the expectation of the wicked shall perish.
29The way of Jehovah is a stronghold to the upright; But it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
30The righteous shall never be removed; But the wicked shall not dwell in the land.
31The mouth of the righteous bringeth forth wisdom; But the perverse tongue shall be cut off.
32The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; But the mouth of the wicked speaketh perverseness.
What this passage means
Proverbs 10 is the opening collection of Solomon's pithy sayings (Hebrew mišlēy), and almost every line is built as an antithesis: one clause about the righteous, one about the foolish or wicked, joined by the conjunction "but." The effect is to teach by contrast — character is revealed in everyday actions such as speaking, working, and handling money, not only in dramatic moments.
The chapter repeatedly ties outcomes to moral direction. Diligence brings increase (v. 4), storing up in season is wise (v. 5), the tongue of the righteous is life-giving (v. 11), and hatred stirs conflict while love covers transgression (v. 12). Wealth and security are also moral categories: ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death (v. 2), and the blessing of Jehovah is what truly enriches, without added sorrow (v. 22).
A theological spine runs beneath the practical counsel: "the fear of Jehovah prolongeth days" (v. 27), the righteous are an everlasting foundation that outlasts the whirlwind (v. 25), and the way of Jehovah is a stronghold to the upright (v. 29). Speech is a recurring moral barometer — the righteous mouth is choice silver, a fountain of life, and a source of acceptable words, while the fool's many words invite transgression (vv. 11, 19, 20, 32).
Context
The opening line — "The proverbs of Solomon" — sets the editorial frame for the sayings that follow, identifying the collection's traditional source. The chapter immediately moves into antithetical parallelism, a poetic form that pairs a righteous line with a wicked counterpart in successive clauses.
Within the chapter, verses 22, 27, and 29 attribute prosperity, long life, and security directly to Jehovah, placing human diligence and righteousness under divine oversight rather than presenting them as self-made goods. Verses 2, 11, and 12 connect righteousness not only to outcomes but to speech and relationships, so that moral character is shown to shape both community and survival.
Key words in the original
- H4912 mišlēy, "proverbs," opens the collection (v. 1). It points to pithy, often figurative maxims rather than long discourse, fitting the chapter's compressed two-line sayings.
- H2450 ḥāḵām, "wise," in v. 1 names the son whose actions make his father glad. The Hebrew term covers practical skill and moral discernment, not only intellectual knowledge.
- H6666 ṣəḏāqāh, "righteousness," in v. 2 is what delivers from death. Here it functions as a moral order whose effects reach beyond the spiritual into concrete preservation of life.
Related verses
- Psalms 107:38 Pairs with Proverbs 10:22 — the blessing of Jehovah multiplies and protects, so that enrichment comes from divine favor rather than from ill-gotten gain.
- 1 Samuel 2:7 Echoes the chapter's pattern that Jehovah makes poor and makes rich. Proverbs 10:22 likewise traces true enrichment to the Lord's blessing, not human scheming.
- 1 Peter 4:8 Mirrors Proverbs 10:12 — "love covereth all transgressions" in Proverbs becomes "love covereth a multitude of sins" in Peter, linking Hebrew wisdom to the New Testament call to fervent love.
Common questions
Why is Proverbs 10 written almost entirely in two-line contrasts?
The antithetical form pairs the righteous with the wicked in successive clauses, so that each line teaches by direct contrast. This parallelism makes the moral difference between the two paths vivid and easy to remember.
Does Proverbs 10 teach that wealth always comes from righteousness?
The chapter distinguishes kinds of wealth: ill-gotten treasures profit nothing (v. 2), but the blessing of Jehovah enriches without added sorrow (v. 22). It denies that wickedness secures lasting gain and affirms that true enrichment belongs to the Lord's favor, while also warning that riches themselves are not a sure stronghold (v. 15).
What does the chapter say about speech?
Speech is a recurring moral marker. The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and choice silver (vv. 11, 20), the prudent lips feed many (v. 21), restraint of lips is wisdom (v. 19), and love covers transgression while hatred stries (v. 12). By contrast, the fool's many words invite transgression and the perverse tongue is cut off (vv. 19, 31).