---
title: "Clarke"
description: "Verse Proverbs 10:1. The proverbs of Solomon — Some ancient MSS. of the Vulgate have Proverbiorum liber secundus, \"The second book of the Proverbs.\" The p"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/clarkes-commentary/proverbs/10"
---

Verse [Proverbs 10:1](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/1). ***The proverbs of Solomon*** — Some ancient MSS. of the *Vulgate* have *Proverbiorum liber secundus*, "The second book of the Proverbs." The preceding *nine* chapters can only be considered as an *introduction*, if indeed they may be said to make even a *part*, of the proverbs of Solomon, which appear to commence only at the *tenth chapter*.
***A wise son maketh a glad father*** — The parallels in this and several of the succeeding chapters are those which *Bishop Lowth* calls the *antithetic*; when two lines correspond with each other by an opposition of *terms* and *sentiments*; when the second is contrasted with the first; sometimes in *expression*, sometimes in *sense* only. Accordingly the degrees of antithesis are various; from an exact contraposition of *word to word*, through a whole sentence, down to a general *disparity*, with something of a *contrariety* in the two propositions, as: -
But a foolish son is the grief of his mother.

Where *every word* has its *opposite*; for the terms *father* and *mother* are, as the logicians say, relatively opposite.

Verse [Proverbs 10:2](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/2). ***Treasures of wickedness*** — Property gained by wicked means.
***Delivered from death*** — Treasures gained by robbery often bring their possessors to an untimely death; but those gained by righteous dealing bring with them no such consequences.

Verse [Proverbs 10:3](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/3). ***But he casteth away the substance of the wicked.*** — But instead of רשעים *reshaim, the wicked*, בוגדים bogedim, *hypocrites*, or *perfidious* persons, is the reading of *twelve* or *fourteen* of *Kennicott's* and *De Rossi's* MSS., and some *editions;* but it is not acknowledged by any of the ancient versions.
The righteous have God for their feeder; and because of his infinite bounty, they can never famish for want of the bread of life. On the contrary, the wicked are often, in the course of his providence, deprived of the property of which they make a bad use.

Verse [Proverbs 10:4](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/4). ***He becometh poor*** — God has ordered, in the course of his providence, that he who will not *work* shall not *eat*. And he always blesses the work of the *industrious* man.

Verse [Proverbs 10:5](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/5). ***He that gathereth in summer*** — All the work of the field should be done in the *season suitable to it*. If *summer* and *harvest* be neglected, in vain does a man expect the fruits of *autumn*.

Verse [Proverbs 10:6](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/6). ***Violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.*** — As *blessings shall be on the head of the just*, so the *violence of* *the wicked shall cover their face* with shame and confusion. Their own violent dealings shall be visited upon them. *The mouth forsoth* *of unpitious men wickidnesse covereth*. - *Old MS. Bible*. "The forehead of the ungodly is past shame, and presumptuous."-*Coverdale*.

Verse [Proverbs 10:7](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/7). ***The memory of the just*****is*****blessed*** — Or, *is a blessing*.
***But the name of the wicked shall rot.*** — This is another antithesis; but there are only two antithetic terms, for *memory* and *name* are synonymous.-*Lowth*. The very name of the wicked is as offensive as putrid carrion.

Verse [Proverbs 10:8](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/8). ***A prating fool shall fall.*** — This clause is repeated in the *tenth* verse. The *wise man will receive the commandment: but* *the shallow blabbing fool shall be cast down*. See [Proverbs 10:10](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/10).

Verse [Proverbs 10:9](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/9). ***He that walketh uprightly*** — The upright man is always *safe*; he has not *two characters* to support; he goes straight forward, and is never afraid of *detection*, because he has never been influenced by *hypocrisy* or *deceit*.

Verse [Proverbs 10:10](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/10). ***He that winketh with the eye*** — Instead of the latter clause, on which see [Proverbs 10:8](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/8), the *Septuagint* has, ὁ δε ελεγχων μετα παῥρησιας ειρηνοποιει· "but he that reproveth with freedom, maketh peace." This is also the reading of the *Syriac* and *Arabic*. A faithful open reproving of sin is more likely to promote the peace of society than the passing it by slightly, or taking no notice of it; for if the wicked turn to God at the reproof, the law of *peace* will soon be established in his heart, and the law of kindness will flow from his tongue.

Verse [Proverbs 10:11](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/11). ***The mouth of a righteous*****man is*****a well of life*** — מקור חיים *mekor chaiyim*, is the *vein of lives*; an allusion to the *great aorta*, which conveys the blood from the heart to every part of the body. The latter clause of this verse is the same with that of [Proverbs 10:6](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/6).

Verse [Proverbs 10:12](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/12). ***Hatred stirreth up strifes*** — It seeks for occasions to provoke enmity. It delights in broils. On the contrary, love conciliates; removes aggravations; puts the best construction on every thing; and pours *water*, not *oil*, upon the *flame*.

Verse [Proverbs 10:13](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/13). ***A rod*****is*****for the back of him*** — He that *can learn*, and *will not learn*, should be *made to learn*. The rod is a most powerful instrument of knowledge. Judiciously applied, there is a lesson of profound wisdom in every *twig*.

Verse [Proverbs 10:14](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/14). ***Wise*****men*****lay up knowledge*** — They keep secret every thing that has a tendency to disturb domestic or public peace; but the foolish man blabs all out, and produces much mischief. Think much, speak little, and always think before you speak. This will promote your own peace and that of your neighbour.

Verse [Proverbs 10:15](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/15). ***The rich man's wealth*****is*****his strong city*** — Behold a mystery in providence; there is not a *rich man* on earth but becomes such by means of the *poor*! Property comes from the *labour* of the *poor*, and *the king himself is served of the field*. How unjust, diabolically so, is it to *despise* or *oppress* those by whose labour all property is acquired!
***The destruction of the poor*****is*****their poverty.*** — A man in abject poverty never arises out of this pit. They have no nucleus about which property may aggregate. The poet spoke well: -
Haud facile emergunt, quorum virtutibus obstat
Res angusta domi.

"They rarely emerge from poverty, whose exertions
are cramped by want at home."

Verse [Proverbs 10:16](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/16). ***The labour of the righteous*** — The good man labours that he may be able to *support life*; this is his *first* object: and then to have *something to divide with the poor*; this is his *next* object.
***The fruit of the wicked to sin.*** — This man lives to eat and drink, and his property he spends in riot and excess. God's blessings are cursed to him.

Verse [Proverbs 10:17](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/17). ***He*****is in*****the way of life*** — The truly religious man accumulates knowledge that he may the better know how to live to God, and do most good among men.

Verse [Proverbs 10:18](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/18). ***He that hideth*** — This is a common case. How many, when full of resentment, and deadly hatred, meditating revenge and cruelty, and sometimes even murder, have pretended that they *thought nothing of the injury they had sustained*; had *passed by* *the insult*, &c.! Thus *lying lips* covered the malevolence of a wicked heart.

Verse [Proverbs 10:19](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/19). ***In the multitude of words*** — It is impossible to speak much, and yet speak nothing but truth; and injure no man's character in the mean while.

Verse [Proverbs 10:20](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/20). ***The heart of the wicked*****is*****little worth*** — כמעט *kimat,* is like little or nothing; or is *like dross*, while the tongue of the just is like *silver*. A sinner's heart is worth nothing, and is good for nothing; and yet because it is his most *hidden part*, he vaunts of its *honesty, goodness*, c.! Yes, yes it is very honest and good, only the devil is in it! that is all.

Verse [Proverbs 10:22](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/22). ***The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich*** — Whatever we receive in the way of providence, has God's blessing in it, and will do us good. Cares, troubles, and difficulties come with all property not acquired in this way; but God's blessing gives simple enjoyment, and levies no tax upon the comfort.

Verse [Proverbs 10:23](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/23). **It is*****a sport to a fool to do mischief*** — What a millstone weight of iniquity hangs about the necks of most of the *jesters, facetious* and *witty* people! "How many lies do they tell in jest, to go to the devil in earnest!"

Verse [Proverbs 10:24](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/24). ***The fear of the wicked*** — The wicked is full of fears and alarms; and all that he has dreaded and more than he has dreaded, shall come upon him. The righteous is always *desiring* more of the salvation of God, and God will exceed even his utmost desires.

Verse [Proverbs 10:25](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/25). ***As the whirlwind passeth*** — As tornadoes that sweep every thing away before them; so shall the wrath of God sweep away the wicked; it shall leave him neither branch nor root. But the righteous, being built on the *eternal foundation*, יסוד עולם yesod *olam*, shall never be shaken.

Verse [Proverbs 10:26](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/26). ***As vinegar to the teeth*** — The *acid* softening and dissolving the *alkali* of the bone, so as to impair their texture, and render them incapable of *masticating*; and as *smoke* affects the eyes, irritating their tender vessels, so as to give pain and prevent distinct vision; so the sluggard, the lounging, thriftless messenger, who never returns in time with the desired answer.

Verse [Proverbs 10:28](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/28). ***The expectation of the wicked shall perish.*** — A wicked man is always imposing on himself by the *hope of God's mercy* and *final happiness*; and he continues *hoping*, till he dies without receiving that *mercy* which alone would entitle him to that *glory*.

Verse [Proverbs 10:29](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/29). ***The way of the Lord*****is*****strength*** — In the path of *obedience* the upright man ever finds his *strength renewed*; the more he *labours* the *stronger* he grows. The same sentiment as that in [Isaiah 40:31](../../../kjv/isaiah/40/31).

Verse [Proverbs 10:30](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/30). ***The righteous shall never be removed*** — Because he is built on the *eternal foundation*. See on [Proverbs 10:25](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/25).

Verse [Proverbs 10:31](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/31). ***The froward tongue shall be cut out.*** — This probably alludes to the punishment of *cutting out the tongue for blasphemy,* *treasonable speeches, profane swearing*, or such like. *The tunge of* *schrewis schal perishen.*- Old MS. Bible. Were the tongue of every *shrew* or *scold* to be extracted, we should soon have much less *noise* in the world.

Verse [Proverbs 10:32](../../../kjv/proverbs/10/32). ***The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable*** — And what they believe to be most pleasing and most profitable, that they speak, but the wicked man knows as well what is *perverse*, and that he speaketh forth. As the love of God is not in his heart, so the law of kindness is not on his lips.

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