King James Version
Proverbs 19
29 verses with commentary
Proverbs on Wealth and Poverty
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Integrity in poverty surpasses perverse speech in folly, even if accompanied by wealth. The 'better than' construction again prioritizes character over circumstances. Walking uprightly maintains God's favor regardless of economic status, while moral compromise brings shame despite material success.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
**XIX.**
(1) **Perverse in his lips.—**One who distorts the truth; translated “froward” in Proverbs 4:24. That a rich man is here intended appears likely from the parallel passage in Proverbs 28:6.
Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Zeal without knowledge is dangerous—enthusiasm uninformed by truth leads to sin. Hasty feet (impulsive action) miss the way. This cautions against activistic Christianity lacking theological depth. Right knowledge must precede and guide right action, or we err despite good intentions.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **Also, that the soul be without knowledge is not good.**—Ignorance is bad, as well as folly.
**He that hasteth with his feet sinneth.—**Haste without knowledge misses the mark aimed at. (See above on Proverbs 8:36.)
The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The foolishness of man perverts his way, and his heart frets against the LORD. Human folly distorts one's path, yet instead of acknowledging fault, the fool blames God. The verb 'perverts' (saleph - overturns, ruins) indicates self-destruction through foolishness. Rather than repenting, the foolish heart 'frets' (za'aph - rages, is vexed) against YHWH. This exposes sin's irrationality - humans rui...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **The foolishness of man perverteth his way**.—A man’s own self-will (Proverbs 1:7) overturns his way. stops his progress, whether in temporal or spiritual matters, and then, instead of blaming himself, “his heart fretteth against the Lord.” (Comp. Isaiah 8:21; Revelation 16:10-11.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 142 Psa 142:1-7. Maschil--(See on Psa 32:1, title). When he was in the cave--either of Adullam (1Sa 22:1), or En-gedi (1Sa 24:3). This does not mean that the Psalm was composed in the cave, but that the precarious mode of life, of which his refuge in caves was a striking illustration, occasioned the complaint, which constitutes the first part of the Psalm and furnishes the reason for the pra...
Read full commentary →Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Wealth makes many friends, but the poor is separated from his neighbor. Prosperity attracts associates; poverty repels them. This verse observes social reality without necessarily endorsing it - wealth produces fair-weather friends while poverty produces isolation. The observation warns both rich (your friends may be mercenary) and poor (expect social marginalization). It also indicts human nature...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **The poor is separated from his neighbour.—**Or, *but the feeble, his friend separates himself *(*from him*)*. *It was just in order to counteract these selfish instincts of mankind that the merciful provisions of such passages as Deuteronomy 15:7. *sqq., *and Luke 14:13, were laid upon God’s people.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
2. (Compare Psa 62:8).
**I poured out my complaint--**or, "a sad musing."
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape. unpunished: Heb. held innocent
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall not escape. This promise guarantees consequences for perjury and falsehood. The emphatic double negative ('not unpunished,' 'not escape') ensures certainty - liars will face judgment. While human justice may fail, divine justice never does. The ninth commandment's violation brings inescapable consequences. This grounds truthful...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. thou knewest ... path--**The appeal is indicative of conscious innocence; knowest it to be right, and that my affliction is owing to the snares of enemies, and is not deserved (compare Psa 42:4; 61:2).
Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. him: Heb. a man of gifts
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Many will entreat the favor of the prince, and every man is a friend to him that gives gifts. Powerful persons attract supplicants; generous persons attract 'friends.' This verse observes how humans pursue relationships with those who can benefit them. The observation is both descriptive (this is how people behave) and prescriptive (recognize this dynamic). Those with power or resources should rec...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
4. Utter desolation is meant.
**right hand--**the place of a protector (Psa 110:5).
**cared for--**literally, "sought after," to do good.
All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
All the brethren of the poor do hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him? He pursues them with words, yet they are wanting to him. Poverty alienates even family; friends distance themselves despite the poor person's appeals. The threefold intensification (brothers hate, friends depart, words fail to recall them) emphasizes the isolation poverty produces. This verse indicts human natu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **He pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to Him.—**The first half of a verse has apparently dropped out here. The sense may be, that the poor man hunts after words—*i.e.*, seeks to get promises of help from his friends, and these end in nothing—mere talk.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5. (Compare Psa 31:14; 62:7).
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good. wisdom: Heb. an heart
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Getting wisdom demonstrates self-love in the highest sense—seeking one's true good. Keeping understanding leads to finding good, showing wisdom's practical benefits. This isn't selfish but properly ordered self-interest that recognizes spiritual flourishing is the path to genuine wellbeing.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **He that getteth wisdom.—**Literally, *heart. *For that “wisdom,” or “knowledge,” that begins with the “fear of the Lord” (see above on Proverbs 1:7), and ends with loving Him, is not a matter of intellect only, but of the heart also—*i.e., *the will and affections.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
6. (Compare Psa 17:1).
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall perish. This verse intensifies verse 5 - false witnesses don't merely face punishment but perish. The escalation from 'not be unpunished' to 'shall perish' (avad - be destroyed, lost) emphasizes the ultimate stakes. Persistent lying leads to destruction, temporal and eternal. This doesn't promise immediate death but ultimate fa...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
7. (Compare Psa 25:17).
**that I may praise--**literally, "for praising," or, "that Thy name may be praised," that is, by the righteous, who shall surround me with sympathizing joy (Psa 35:27).
Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. Luxury doesn't fit fools; leadership by servants over princes fits even less. The verse addresses incongruity - circumstances unsuited to character or station. Fools with prosperity waste it; servants ruling princes inverts proper order. This doesn't endorse rigid class systems but recognizes that character should...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **Delight is not seemly for a fool.—**He is ruined by prosperity and luxury: much more is a slave unfit to rule over princes. The writer has in his mind the case of an emancipated slave being raised to high place by court favour, and then insolently trampling on those who were once far above him. (Comp. Proverbs 30:22; Ecclesiastes 10:6-7.)
The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression. discretion: or, prudence
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Discretion defers anger, demonstrating self-control that is fruit of the Spirit. The glory in passing over transgression shows strength, not weakness—it requires greater power to forgive than retaliate. This reflects God's character in passing over sins (Romans 3:25).
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **It is his glory to pass over a transgression.**—In this he imitates a Greater. Comp. Micah 7:18; Romans 3:25; Matthew 5:45.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 143 Psa 143:1-12. In structure and style, like the preceding (Psalms 104-142), this Psalm is clearly evinced to be David's. It is a prayer for pardon, and for relief from enemies; afflictions, as usual, producing confession and penitence.
**1. in thy faithfulness ... and ... righteousness--**or, God's regard to the claims which He has permitted His people to make in His covenant.
The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion; but his favour is as dew upon the grass.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as dew upon the grass. Royal anger terrifies like a lion's roar; royal favor refreshes like morning dew. The contrasting metaphors emphasize monarchy's power to harm or bless. This wisdom guided ancient courtiers' conduct - avoiding wrath, seeking favor. Applied to divine King, the principle teaches fearing God's judgment while seeking...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**2. enter ... judgment--**deal not in strict justice.
**shall no ... justified--**or, "is no man justified," or "innocent" (Job 14:3; Ro 3:20).
A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse addresses two sources of domestic grief: the foolish son and the contentious wife. The Hebrew 'havvah' (calamity) denotes not merely inconvenience but genuine disaster. A son's folly—rejection of wisdom and godly counsel—brings ruin upon his father's household through shame, wasted resources, and broken relationships. The 'continual dropping' metaphor vividly depicts the wearing effect ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **A continual dropping.—**As of the rain leaking through the flat roof of an eastern house on a wet day. (Comp. 27:15.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-4. The exciting reason for his prayer--**his afflictions--led to confession as just made: he now makes the complaint.
**as those that have been long dead--**deprived of life's comforts (compare Psa 40:15; 88:3-6).
House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This proverb contrasts human inheritance with divine gift. While material wealth ('house and riches') passes through natural means and human effort, a prudent wife is directly 'from the LORD'—a sovereign gift of grace. The Hebrew 'sakal' (prudent) denotes skillful wisdom in practical affairs. This verse elevates godly marriage above mere economic arrangements, recognizing that a wise spouse is inf...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3-4. The exciting reason for his prayer--**his afflictions--led to confession as just made: he now makes the complaint.
**as those that have been long dead--**deprived of life's comforts (compare Psa 40:15; 88:3-6).
Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Slothfulness produces a spiritual stupor ('deep sleep') that blinds one to reality and urgency. The sluggard lives in a dream world, oblivious to approaching consequences. The inevitable result is hunger—both physical want and spiritual poverty. This verse connects laziness with its natural consequences in God's moral order. Work is not a curse but part of God's creational design (Genesis 2:15), a...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep.—**Or rather, *makes it fall upon a man, *as upon Adam (Genesis 2:21).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-6. The distress is aggravated by the contrast of former comfort (Psa 22:3-5), for whose return he longs.
**a thirsty land--**which needs rain, as did his spirit God's gracious visits (Psa 28:1; 89:17).
He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Obedience to God's commandments is not merely external conformity but soul-keeping—the preservation of one's whole being in covenant relationship with God. The Hebrew 'shamar' (keep) implies careful, watchful attention. Conversely, to 'despise his ways' is to treat God's revealed will with contempt, resulting in death—both spiritual and often physical. This verse affirms the inseparable connection...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **He that despiseth his ways—***i.e.*, takes no heed to them, whether they please God or not.
**Shall die.—**Physically (comp. Exodus 12:15; 1Corinthians 11:30), spiritually (comp. Luke 1:79); a death to be completed hereafter (Revelation 2:11).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-6. The distress is aggravated by the contrast of former comfort (Psa 22:3-5), for whose return he longs.
**a thirsty land--**which needs rain, as did his spirit God's gracious visits (Psa 28:1; 89:17).
He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again. that which: or, his deed
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This proverb presents charity to the poor as lending to God: 'He that hath pity on the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.' Showing pity (chanan—showing grace, compassion) to the poor constitutes lending to Yahweh Himself. The metaphor is striking—God considers Himself the debtor for kindness shown to the poor and promises repayment. This doesn't mean ch...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Lendeth unto the Lord.—**Who “for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich” (2Corinthians 8:9), and Who regards all done to one of his poor brethren as done unto Himself (Matthew 25:40).
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**7. spirit faileth--**is exhausted.
Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying. for: or, to his destruction: or, to cause him to die
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Parental discipline must be timely—'while there is hope'—suggesting both the child's moldable years and the father's opportunity to intervene before patterns become fixed. The warning 'let not thy soul spare for his crying' addresses parental sentimentality that prioritizes momentary comfort over lasting character. True love disciplines (Hebrews 12:6); false love indulges. The phrase hints at capi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **And let not thy soul spare for his crying.—**Or, *but set not thy soul on his destruction. *Do not go so far as to kill him in thy zeal for his good, or despair of his amendment. (Comp. Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21.) It may also signify “do not let him perish for want of chastisement,” as Proverbs 23:13 is also explained.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
8. (Compare Psa 25:1-4; 59:16).
**the way ... walk--**that is, the way of safety and righteousness (Psa 142:3-6).
A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again. do: Heb. add
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The 'man of great wrath' is enslaved to his anger, unable to control his passions. Such a person will 'suffer punishment'—experiencing the natural and judicial consequences of his fury. The second clause reveals the futility of enabling: if you rescue him from one consequence, his unchanged character will generate new disasters requiring repeated interventions. This teaches both the inevitability ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **For if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.—**As St. Paul says (Galatians 6:5), “Every man shall bear his own burden.” We cannot shield wrong-headed people from the consequences of their want of self-control, however much we may pity them for the suffering they have brought on themselves.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
9. (Compare Psa 31:15-20).
Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Hearing counsel and receiving instruction positions one for future wisdom. Youth should heed advice to gain understanding for later years. The eschatological perspective ('latter end') shows wisdom's long-term benefits—choices today shape who we become tomorrow.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.**—That “though thy beginning might be small, yet that thy latter end should greatly increase” (Job 8:7)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10. (Compare Psa 5:8; 27:11).
**land of uprightness--**literally, "an even land" (Psa 26:12).
There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Human plans and devices (Hebrew 'machashavot'—thoughts, purposes) are many and diverse, but only God's counsel will ultimately 'stand' (Hebrew 'qum'—rise, be established). This proverb teaches God's absolute sovereignty over human affairs while acknowledging that people do make plans. The wise person aligns his plans with God's revealed will rather than pursuing autonomous schemes.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **There are many devices (or, *thoughts**) in a man’s heart.*—“He disquieteth himself in vain” (Psalm 39:6), endeavouring to carry out his various plans in life, while the one unchangeable “counsel of the Lord,” *that *shall stand—*i.e., *abide in all its fulness. (Comp, Isaiah 46:10-11; Psalm 33:11; Job 23:13.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
11. (Compare Psa 23:3; 119:156).
The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The Hebrew text is difficult, but most interpretations understand 'desire' (ta'avah) as referring to covenant faithfulness or loyal love (chesed). A person's true value lies in their kindness and reliability, not their wealth. The poor man who maintains integrity surpasses the wealthy liar in true worth. This inverts worldly values that prioritize wealth over character. God judges by the heart; hu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **The desire of a man is his kindness—***i.e., *what makes a man desired or beloved is his kindness. Or, the kindness of a man consists in—is shewn by—his good-will, even though he cannot carry it out.
**And a poor man **(who would do a kindness if he could) **is better than a liar.**—Than a rich man who could help another, but professes to be unable to do so.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
12. God's mercy to His people is often wrath to His and their enemies (compare Psa 31:17).
**thy servant--**as chosen to be such, entitled to divine regard.
The fear of the LORD tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The 'fear of the LORD' is reverent awe that submits to God's authority and delights in His ways. This fear 'tends to life'—Hebrew 'l'chayyim,' emphasizing that true life flows from proper relationship with God. The result is threefold: satisfaction, abiding security, and protection from evil. This doesn't promise immunity from trials but assurance of God's preserving care and ultimate deliverance....
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **The fear of the Lord tendeth to life.—**To life in this world, the reward of uprightness promised to the Israelites of old (Isaiah 37:29); and to life in the next (Mark 10:30).
**He shall not be visited with evil.—**(Comp. Leviticus 26:6.) A higher blessing is promised in the New Testament; not immunity from trouble, for trouble may be needed for advance in holiness (Romans 8:28), but prote...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
PSALM 144 Psa 144:1-15. David's praise of God as his all-sufficient help is enhanced by a recognition of the intrinsic worthlessness of man. Confidently imploring God's interposition against his enemies, he breaks forth into praise and joyful anticipations of the prosperity of his kingdom, when freed from vain and wicked men.
A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This vivid caricature of laziness depicts absurd extremes: the sluggard so averse to effort that he won't even feed himself. Having reached for food (hand in bosom/dish), he lacks energy or will to complete the action. This hyperbole exposes sloth's irrational nature—it violates even self-preservation instincts. Laziness isn't mere tiredness but a moral failure that distorts God's design for human...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom.**—Better, in the *dish *that stood in the middle of the table at an Oriental dinner, into which the guests dipped their hands to take out the food for themselves (Matthew 26:23).
Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. will beware: Heb. will be cunning
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This verse prescribes different pedagogical methods for different character types. The 'scorner' (Hebrew 'lets,' one who mocks wisdom) learns only through public consequences; when he is punished, the 'simple' (naive, uncommitted) take warning. The scorner himself rarely learns from correction, but his judgment educates others. In contrast, the 'understanding' person profits from mere reproof with...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware.—**For “scorner” and “simple” see note on Proverbs 1:22. Reproof is of no avail to turn the “scorner” from his evil way (Proverbs 9:7; Proverbs 13:1; Proverbs 15:12), punishment will also do him no good; but it may make the “simple,” whose character is not yet formed for good or evil, reflect and amend. So God at first punishes sinners for their g...
Read full commentary →He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.
View commentary
KJV Study Commentary
This verse condemns the son who violates the fifth commandment through violence or expulsion of parents. 'Wasteth' and 'chaseth away' depict active cruelty—plundering a father's resources and driving away a mother. Such behavior brings 'shame and reproach'—public disgrace that reveals profound moral bankruptcy. The one who should honor and care for aging parents instead treats them as obstacles or...
Read full commentary →Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This is a straightforward warning against false teaching. To 'cease...to hear instruction' is to close one's ears to wisdom—a catastrophic decision with inevitable consequences. The result is 'erring from the words of knowledge,' a progressive wandering that leads further into error and folly. Truth requires continual attention and receptivity; the moment we stop listening, we begin drifting. This...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err **. . .—Or the passage may mean, *Cease to hear instruction if you are only going to err afterwards*—Make up your mind what you are intending to do hereafter, and act now accordingly; better not know the truth than learn it only to desert it. (Comp. 2Peter 2:21.)
An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity. An: Heb. A witness of Belial
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The 'ungodly witness' (literally 'witness of Belial,' denoting worthlessness and wickedness) perverts justice by false testimony. Such a person 'scorneth judgment'—holding God's justice in contempt. The second clause reveals his motivation: the wicked 'devoureth iniquity' like food, finding pleasure in evil itself. False witness isn't merely a pragmatic lie but reflects a heart that delights in wi...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **An ungodly (worthless)** **witness scorneth judgment.**—Despises the orders of the Law to avoid perjury (Exodus 20:16; Leviticus 5:1). (Comp. 1Kings 8:31).
**The mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.**—As a dainty morsel. (Comp. Proverbs 18:8.)
Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.
View commentary (2 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
Divine judgment awaits the mocker. 'Judgments are prepared' depicts God's certain response to those who scorn wisdom and mock righteousness. 'Stripes for the back of fools' refers to corporal punishment, whether human or divine. The scorner's arrogance will be humbled; the fool's obstinacy will be broken. While discipline aims at correction, some become so hardened that punishment serves only just...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **Judgments are prepared for scorners.**—(Comp. Proverbs 19:25.)
**Fools.—**See above on Proverbs 1:22.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bible Hub