"The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver: The heart of the wicked is little worth."Dod's paraphrase of the second clause is, "Sinful persons make a great show on the outside, but there's nothing within them that's worth anything"![21] Peter said to the lame man, "Silver and gold have I none," but his words were life, health and strength to the cripple.[22">Acts 3:6f.">[22] read more
"The lips of the righteous feed many; But the foolish die for lack of understanding."The kind of food with which the lips of the righteous may feed others is, "The food that abideth unto eternal life" (John 6:27), namely, the blessed Truth of the holy gospels, without which, "the foolish die for lack of understanding." read more
"The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich; And he addeth no sorrow therewith.""When sorrow comes to men who have been enriched by God, it springs from some other source than that of the riches. Great sorrow came to Solomon, but God did not add it; Solomon by his sins added it."[23] read more
"It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness; And so is wisdom to a man of understanding."A various reading here, "It is sport for a fool to commit lewdness, but it is an abomination to a man of understanding."[24] "A rascal thinks sin is fun."[25] read more
"The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted."Fritsch noted that the Hebrew text supports either the thought expressed here, or that, "The fear which evil men inspire in others is that which will come upon them."[26] read more
"When the whirlwind passes, the wicked is no more; But the righteous is an everlasting foundation."The truth of this is apparently lost on our beloved America today. "It is righteousness that exalteth a nation" (Proverbs 14:34). Ten righteous people would have spared Sodom and Gomorrah from destruction. The only foundation therefore for any `everlasting' society is righteous people. Humanism is the destruction of any society built upon it. read more
"As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke in the eyes, So is the sluggard to them that send him."The message here is that there is no worse messenger that can be sent than a lazy one. read more
"The fear of Jehovah prolongeth days; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened."There is no mature person who cannot recall from what he has observed many examples of the wicked whose lives have been shortened and terminated by their wicked deeds. The drunken drivers killed in accidents, the robber shot in the act, the adulterer slain in vengeance - the list is endless. read more
"The hope of the righteous shall be gladness, But the expectation of the wicked shall perish."Contrasting with the futile hopes of the wicked that shall come to naught, "The patient expectation of the righteous is joyful, because it has full confidence of its being fulfilled."[27] read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 10:19
"In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression; But he that refraineth his lips doeth wisely."This thunders the message that one should avoid talking too much. Various readings of the second clause here are: "He who controls his tongue acts wisely" (TOY), and "The wise man guardeth his tongue." (FRANK).[20] The New Testament elaborates this warning. "If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man" (James 3:1-13). read more