Proverbs 10:21
WEB
The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding.
BSB
The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of judgment.
KJV
The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H8193
n-f — lip, language, margin
Derivation: or (in dual and plural) שֶׂפֶת; probably from 5595 or 8192 through the idea of termination (compare 5490);
the lip (as a natural boundary); by implication, language; by analogy, a margin (of a vessel, water, cloth, etc.)
KJV: band, bank, binding, border, brim, brink, edge, language, lip, prating, (sea-)shore, side, speech, talk, (vain) words.
n.f — lip
שָׂפָה 176 n.f. lip, speech, edge
1. lip
2. language
3. edge: shore of sea; bank of river
H6662
a — just
Derivation: from 6663;
just
KJV: just, lawful, righteous (man).
adj — just
צַדִּיק 206 adj. just, righteous
H7462
v — tend, pasture, graze, rule, associate
Derivation: a primitive root;
to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend)
KJV: × break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep) (-er), pastor, shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.
n.pr.loc — shearing house
בֵּית־עֵ֫קֶד הָרֹעִים perh. n.pr.loc. (binding-house of the shepherds) 2 K 10:12
vb — associate with
[רָעָה] vb. prob. associate with
Qal cherish faithfulness
Hithp. do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man
vb — pasture
רָעָה 167 vb. pasture, tend, graze
Qal
1. trans.
2. intrans.
Niph. poss.
Hiph. v.
H7227
a n-m — abundant
Derivation: by contracted from 7231;
abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
KJV: (in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).
n.m — chief
רַב 49 n.m. chief
adj — much
רַב 429 adj. much, many, great
1. (oft. opp. מְעַט)
a.
(1). much: of substances
(2). esp. of collectives, numerous
b. pl. many
c. רַב as subst. coll. pers.
d. cstr. = abounding in
e. מִן comp. = more numerous than
f. רַב = abundant, enough
g. as adv. much, exceedingly
2. less oft. great
H191
a-m — silly
Derivation: from an unused root (meaning to be perverse);
(figuratively) silly
KJV: fool(-ish) (man).
adj — foolish
אֱוִיל 26 adj. foolish
H2638
a — lacking, without
Derivation: from 2637;
lacking; hence, without
KJV: destitute, fail, lack, have need, void, want.
adj — needy
חָסֵר adj. needy, lacking, in want of
H3820
n-m — heart, feelings, will, intellect, centre
Derivation: a form of 3824;
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything
KJV: care for, comfortably, consent, × considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), × heed, × I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), × regard(-ed), × themselves, × unawares, understanding, × well, willingly, wisdom.
n.m — inner man
לֵב 599 n.m. (f.) inner man, mind, will, heart
I. seldom of things in the midst of the sea
II. elsewhere of men
1. the inner man in contrast with the outer
2. the inner man, indef., soul, comprehending mind, affections and will
3. specific reference to mind
4. spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions and determinations of the will
5. spec. ref. to conscience
6. [various]
7. for the man himself
8. as seat of appetites
9. as seat of emotions and passions
10. seat of courage
H4191
v — die, kill
Derivation: a primitive root;
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
KJV: × at all, × crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), × must needs, slay, × surely, × very suddenly, × in (no) wise.
vb — die
מוּת vb. die
Qal
1. die, of natural or other causes
2. die as a penalty = be put to death
Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)
Hiph.
1. abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man
2. subj. God, by inflicting penalty
3. of animals killing men
4. bring to a premature death
Hoph. be killed, put to death
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Verses 20–21
Proverbs 10:20–21
We are here taught how to value men, not by their wealth and preferment in the world, but by their virtue.
I. Good men are good for something. Though they may be poor and low in the world, and may not have power and riches to do good with, yet, as long as they have a mouth to speak, that will make them valuable and useful, and upon that account we must honour those that fear the Lord, because out of the good treasure of their heart they bring forth good things. 1. This makes them valuable: The tongue of the just is as choice silver; they are sincere, freed from the dross of guile and evil design. God's words are compared to silver purified (Psa 12:6), for they may be relied on; and such are the words of just men. They are of weight and worth, and will enrich those that hear them with wisdom, which is better than choice silver. 2. It makes them useful: The lips of the righteous feed many; for they are full of the word of God, which is the bread of life, and that sound doctrine wherewith souls are nourished up. Pious discourse is spiritual food to the needy, to the hungry.
II. Bad men are good for nothing. 1. One can get no good by them: The heart of the wicked is little worth, and therefore that which comes out of the abundance of his heart cannot be worth much. His principles, his notions, his thoughts, his purposes, and all the things that fill him, and affect him, are worldly and carnal, and therefore of no value. He that is of the earth speaks of the earth, and neither understands nor relishes the things of God, Joh 3:31; Co1 2:14. The wicked man pretends that, though he does not talk of religion as the just do, yet he has it within him, and thanks God that his heart is good; but he that searches the heart here says the contrary: It is nothing worth. 2. One can do no good to them. While many are fed by the lips of the righteous, fools die for want of wisdom; and fools indeed they are to die for want of that which they might so easily come by. Fools die for want of a heart (so the word is); they perish for want of consideration and resolution; they have no heart to do any thing for their own good. While the righteous feed others fools starve themselves.
Cross-references: Ps 12:6 · John 3:31 · 1Cor 2:14