Proverbs

Chapter 10

Solomon’s Proverbs: The Wise Son

Proverbs 10 begins the main collection of Solomon's short sayings, contrasting the righteous and the wicked across family life, work, speech, wealth, correction, hope, and stability. Again and again it shows that wisdom produces life, security, and blessing, while folly turns gifts into shame, ruin, and exposure.

As the tenth chapter of Proverbs, this passage marks a formal shift from extended parental speeches to compact proverb-pairs meant for steady meditation. Its many contrasts train the reader to discern how righteousness and wickedness differ in ordinary habits, especially in labor, listening, speech, and the long-term outcomes God assigns to each path.

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Proverbs 10

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vv. 1-32

Solomon’s Proverbs: The Wise Son

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T¹he proverbs of Solomon: ²Ill-gotten treasures profit nothing, ³The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, ⁴Idle hands make one poor, ⁵He who gathers in summer is a wise son,

⁶Blessings are on the head of the righteous, ⁷The memory of the righteous is a blessing, ⁸A wise heart will receive commandments, ⁹He who walks in integrity walks securely, ¹⁰He who winks the eye causes grief, ¹¹The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, ¹²Hatred stirs up dissension, ¹³Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning, ¹⁴The wise store up knowledge,

¹⁵The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city, ¹⁶The labor of the righteous leads to life, ¹⁷Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, ¹⁸The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, ¹⁹When words are many, sin is unavoidable, ²⁰The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, ²¹The lips of the righteous feed many, ²²The blessing of the LORD enriches,

²³The fool delights in shameful conduct, ²⁴What the wicked man dreads will overtake him, ²⁵When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more, ²⁶Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, ²⁷The fear of the LORD prolongs life, ²⁸The hope of the righteous is joy, ²⁹The way of the LORD is a refuge to the upright, ³⁰The righteous will never be shaken, ³¹The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, ³²The lips of the righteous know what is fitting,

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01vv. 1-32Solomon’s Proverbs: The Wise SonThe chapter gathers a series of brief contrasts that compare the wise with the foolish and the righteous with the wicked in matters of diligence, provision, reputation, speech, discipline, wealth, and destiny. Taken together, the sayings teach that moral character is not abstract but steadily revealed in the fruit of one's words, work, desires, and response to instruction.