--- title: "Proverbs 19 - Study King James Bible with preachers complete homiletical commentary" description: "Read Proverbs 19 with preachers complete homiletical commentary commentary. 1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs/19" --- [ Read](/kjv/proverbs/19)[ Commentary](/study/proverbs/19)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/proverbs/19) Audio 1 Better *is* the poor that walketh in his integrity, than *he that is* perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 2 Also, *that* the soul *be* without knowledge, *it is* not good; and he that hasteth with *his* feet sinneth. 3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD. 4 Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. 5 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and *he that* speaketh lies shall not escape.* 6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man *is* a friend to him that giveth gifts.* 7 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*. 8 He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.* 9 A false witness shall not be unpunished, and *he that* speaketh lies shall perish. 10 Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes. 11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and *it is* his glory to pass over a transgression.* 12 The king’s wrath *is* as the roaring of a lion; but his favour *is* as dew upon the grass. 13 A foolish son *is* the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife *are* a continual dropping. 14 House and riches *are* the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife *is* from the LORD. 15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. 16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul; *but* he that despiseth his ways shall die. 17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.* 18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.* 19 A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver *him*, yet thou must do it again.* 20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 21 *There are* many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. 22 The desire of a man *is* his kindness: and a poor man *is* better than a liar. 23 The fear of the LORD *tendeth* to life: and *he that hath it* shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil. 24 A slothful *man* hideth his hand in *his* bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. 25 Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, *and* he will understand knowledge.* 26 He that wasteth *his* father, *and* chaseth away *his* mother, *is* a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. 27 Cease, my son, to hear the instruction *that causeth* to err from the words of knowledge. 28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.* 29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools. [Proverbs 18](/study/proverbs/18) [Proverbs 20](/study/proverbs/20) ## Commentary To verse 1 CRITICAL NOTES.— **[Proverbs 19:1](/kjv/proverbs/19/1)**. Delitzsch translates the last clause, “*Than one with perverse lips, and so a fool*.” *MAIN HOMILETICS OF**[Proverbs 19:1](/kjv/proverbs/19/1)* **I. A reference to an unexplained mystery of human life**. It is here implied, though it is not directly expressed, that the fool who is perverse in his lips—who sets himself in speech and action against the moral law of the universe—is not so poor a man as he who walks in integrity. (We have before had this latter character before us. See Homiletics on chap. [Proverbs 11:3](/kjv/proverbs/11/3), page 196.) It seems as strange that power and influence should be so often given to those who know least how to put them to a good use, as it would be to see a parent put a knife into the hand of a child who was incapable of using it, yet it is a sight which meets us on every hand, and a mystery which has presented itself to the minds of thinking men in all ages. Solomon had met with such instances in his day—he had seen the godly and upright walking in the shade and treading the bye-paths of life, while the perverse and foolish man was basking in the sunlight of worldly prosperity in the highways of society. **II. An assertion, that, notwithstanding contrary appearances, the better portion is with the better man**. It is not, after all, what a man’s portion is, but how he uses it, that makes his life a blessing or a curse. A man who walks in integrity makes the righteous law of his God the rule of his life, and this keeping of the Divine commandments brings with it a reward ([Psalms 19:11](/kjv/psalms/19/11)) of which the rebellious fool knows nothing. He knows how to use his more limited opportunities and influence to the best advantage—how to put out his small capital so as to obtain the best interest upon it—how to trade with his five talents so as to make them other five, and so he is daily laying up a treasure which is better than all the fame and wealth that belongs to this world, for it is the riches of a righteous character by which he is raised himself to a higher spiritual level, and by which he is able to make the world better than he found it. *OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS* Integrity is itself a life, and a whole enjoyment, and better, therefore, than worldly interests which are nothing of the kind. Walking is an eastern figure, and we have failed to substitute it by a western one. A *way* in the East means a man’s total course. *Walking*, therefore, means his total life or being. *Better is a poor man, etc.*, refers, therefore, to a man not living in his money, nor indeed, in his horses or in his hounds, not *living in* his integrity, but *walking* in it, *i.e.*, spending his whole time in it, staying in that way; of course, taking his pleasure in it (see [Proverbs 19:22](/kjv/proverbs/19/22).) We have before seen that *speech* means *whole conduct*. The mouth, in those days, was the great implement of action. It is so still. The commonest labourer bargains out and orders out half his living by his mouth. “Perverse” or “crooked” in speech means speaking (*i.e.* acting) athwart of what we ourselves know in many particulars; first, athwart all moral truth; second, athwart deep personal conviction; third, athwart all personal interest (as our text implies.) A Christian talks straight, because he speaks (acts) coincidently with all of these. A sinner is crooked of lip, because he says what he does not think, and traverses for his lusts all the best principles of his moral nature.—*Miller*. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs/19#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","width":672,"height":448,"caption":"Real Bible Believers"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs/19#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs/19","name":"Proverbs 19 - Study King James Bible with preachers complete homiletical commentary","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs/19#primaryimage"},"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Read Proverbs 19 with preachers complete homiletical commentary commentary. 1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs/19#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs/19"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs/19#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","name":"Study Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary","name":"preachers complete homiletical commentary"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs","name":"Proverbs"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs/19","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/preachers-complete-homiletical-commentary/proverbs/19","name":"19"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]} ```