10:1 The Proverbs of Solomon: A wise child makes a father rejoice, but a foolish child is a grief to his mother.
Chapter 10 begins the second half of Proverbs. In chapters 10-31, Solomon listed 375 proverbs which he learned from the Mosaic Law.
A father will brag to others about his wise son when he does well. An evil son will bring sadness and grief to his mother.
10:2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from mortal danger.
Anyone can become wealthy by becoming an assassin, a thief, a prostitute, a corrupt politician, a bribed judge, or a drug dealer. However, this kind of wealth will not make them satisfied with life. All of this wealth will be lost when they enter into eternity. The righteous man is the one who knows God. The one who knows God will be delivered from the mortal danger of eternal death.
10:3 The Lord satisfies the appetite of the righteous, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
The righteous crave to study and apply more Bible doctrine. The Lord will satisfy this hunger. The unrighteous are born with a totally depraved nature which craves them to do evil, but their plans will be thwarted.
10:4 The one who is lazy becomes poor, but the one who works diligently becomes wealthy. 5 The one who gathers crops in the summer is a wise son, but the one who sleeps during the harvest is a son who brings shame to himself.
Lazy people will end up In poverty while industrious people will prosper.
10:6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the speech of the wicked conceals violence.
The righteous are blessed. The wicked conceal the violence which is in their hearts. On the outside, they seem like a nice person. However, their sinister motives are concealed behind their smiles.
10:7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the reputation of the wicked will rot.
After a person dies, the righteous are remembered, but the ungodly are not.
10:8 The wise person accepts instructions, but the one who speaks foolishness will come to ruin.
A person with strong Bible doctrine is teachable, but the evil person will not quit chattering long enough so that he can learn.
10:9 The one who conducts himself in integrity will live securely,
but the one who behaves perversely will be found out.
The man of integrity will live in security. The man of evil will eventually be discovered.
10:10 The one who winks his eye causes trouble, and the one who speaks foolishness will come to ruin.
A person who winks his eyes is one who is scheming evil plans with other conspirators. He is asking others to look away as he performs his evil. The one who speaks foolishly is the one who speaks without knowledge of Bible doctrine. He is actually supporting the philosophies of the satanic world system. A talkative fool will eventually get himself into a lot of trouble.
10:11 The teaching of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the speech of the wicked conceals violence.
The words of the righteous are free-flowing and as refreshing as a cool spring to a desert traveler. The wicked is totally depraved and evil. He is very violent against those who possess strong Bible doctrine, but he conceals this violence until he can take advantage of it. As a nation becomes more godless and liberal, they will eventually grow enough in strength to turn their concealed violence into physical and mental persecution of believers.
10:12 Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
People who despise each other cannot work together in peace. Divine love comes from the mastery of Bible doctrine. Those who possess strong Bible doctrine can work with others more easily, because they understand sin and forgiveness. A wicked person seeks revenge on his enemies. According to the Apostle Paul, a righteous person looks to make his enemies his friends by sharing the gospel.
10:13 Wisdom is found in the words of the discerning person, but the one who lacks wisdom will be disciplined.
Wisdom is Bible doctrine. The discerning person can teach others sound Bible doctrine. The one who lacks Bible doctrine will be undisciplined in studying Bible doctrine and making divine-viewpoint decisions.
10:14 Those who are wise store up knowledge, but foolish speech leads to imminent destruction.
The wise store up knowledge by studying the entire counsel of the Word of God at the deepest level. The foolish do not know Bible doctrine, so they spout out words without knowledge. These words will eventually lead them into trouble. Their words will eventually lead them to destroy themselves.
10:15 The wealth of a rich person is like a fortified city, but the poor are brought to ruin by their poverty.
Wealth can protect some people from disaster. Poverty makes it difficult for the poor to escape disaster.
10:16 The reward which the righteous receive is life; the recompense which the wicked receive is judgment.
If one is doing the will of God, then his reward is his internal happiness and eternal life. Those who do not do the will of God will always be internally unhappy, although they may appear content on the outside. They will eventually be judged. They know this judgment is coming, so they attempt to wish it away by not believing in a God who will judge them for their sin. Atheism, agnosticism, and evolutionism are all attempts by godless men to get rid of a Creator who will judge their sins.
10:17 The one who heeds instruction is on the way to life, but the one who rejects rebuke goes astray.
The one who is teachable will learn Bible doctrine and live a satisfied life. The one who rejects Bible doctrine will go astray and suffer eternal death.
10:18 The one who conceals hatred utters lies, and the one who spreads slander is certainly a fool.
When a person hates someone but tries not to show his hatred, then he is often forced to lie. The one who slanders his enemy publicly is a fool.
10:19 When words abound, transgression is inevitable, but the one who restrains his words is wise.
Constant talking will eventually lead one to sin. The person with strong Bible doctrine will remain silent.
10:20 What the righteous say is like the best silver, but what the wicked think is of little value.
The words of the righteous are like silver, because they teach one how to live a godly life in the satanic world system. The words of the godless are of little value. Atheists are fools, because they reject the Creator and believe that nothing created everything. Agnostics are insulting God, because they claim that God did not give then enough evidence of his existence. Evolutionists are evil, because they claim that Jesus evolved from a monkey. Feminists are evil, because they glorify the female sex over the teachings of the Word of God. Cults and isms are evil, because they teach that Jesus is less than God and salvation comes from doing good works.
10:21 The teaching of the righteous feeds many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.
The words of the righteous are valuable, because they nourish the soul. The philosophies of fools all lead to eternal death, because they lack sound Bible doctrine. Most of them are a mixture of truth and error.
10:22 The blessing from the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow to it.
Wealth brings sorrow, unless it comes from the Lord. Wealth which comes from the Lord can be used to build the Kingdom of God.
10:23 Carrying out a wicked scheme is enjoyable to a fool, and so is wisdom for the one who has discernment.
Evil men enjoy carrying out wicked schemes. They love to destroy believers when they are given the opportunity to do so. In contrast, the believer loves the study and application of Bible doctrine.
10:24 What the wicked fears will come on him; what the righteous desire will be granted.
Wicked people dread calamity, because they know judgment is coming. The righteous desire eternal life with their Creator. They know that their desire will be granted.
10:25 When the storm passes through, the wicked are swept away, but the righteous are an everlasting foundation.
When a storm comes during one’s life, then the wicked will lose everything. The storm may destroy the material belongings of the righteous, but it cannot touch their eternal rewards. Mastery of Bible doctrine is a foundation will will survive through eternity.
10:26 Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to those who send him.
Vinegar is very sour tasting. Smoke irritates the eyes. A lazy person aggravates his employers.
10:27 Fearing the Lord prolongs life, but the life span of the wicked will be shortened.
When seen from the perspective of eternity, then evil men possess a very short life.
10:28 The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectation of the wicked will remain unfulfilled.
The righteous have the hope of eternal life. The wicked desire to live their life in evil forever in the satanic world system, but they will eventually die and go to hell.
10:29 The way of the Lord is like a stronghold for the upright, but it is destruction to evildoers.
A strong hold is a large castle complex which protects its citizens from the attacks of the enemy. There is the way of the Lord and the way of Satan. Everyone must follow one of these two paths. There is security in the way of the Lord. His side will win the angelic battle. Those who follow the way of Satan will be destroyed. They have committed to the losing side.
10:30 The righteous will never be moved, but the wicked will not inhabit the land.
During the angelic conflict, the righteous will eventually win. They will not be moved from their strategic position. The wicked will attack, but they will never permanently inhabit the land.
10:31 The speech of the righteous bears the fruit of wisdom, but the one who speaks perversion will be destroyed.
The speech of the righteousness is filled with divine viewpoint. Their speech brings forth ripe fruit. Those who speak without Bible doctrine are echoing the philosophies of the satanic world system. Their fruit is poisonous. It will eventually destroy them.
10:32 The lips of the righteous know what is pleasing, but the speech of the wicked is perverse.
The Hebrew word for “perverse” is תַּהְפֻּכוֹת (tahpukut), meaning to turn away from what is normal. The words of the righteous glorify God. The words of the evil turn away from God and speak of what is not normal.