Proverbs 10 is the tenth chapter of the Book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.[1] The book is a compilation of several wisdom literature collections, with the heading in 1:1 may be intended to regard Solomon as the traditional author of the whole book, but the dates of the individual collections are difficult to determine, and the book probably obtained its final shape in the post-exilic period. This chapter is a part of the second collection of the book.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[2] [3] of Proverbs 10 with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
| Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father; but a foolish son is the grief of his mother. | ||
| 2 | Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; but righteousness delivereth from death. | ||
| 3 | The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish; but He thrusteth away the desire of the wicked. | ||
| 4 | He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand; but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. | ||
| 5 | A wise son gathereth in summer; but a son that doeth shamefully sleepeth in harvest. | ||
| 6 | Blessings are upon the head of the righteous; but the mouth of the wicked concealeth violence. | ||
| 7 | The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing; but the name of the wicked shall rot. | ||
| 8 | The wise in heart will receive commandments; but a prating fool shall fall. | ||
| 9 | He that walketh uprightly walketh securely; but he that perverteth his ways shall be found out. | ||
| 10 | He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow; and a prating fool shall fall. | ||
| 11 | The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life; but the mouth of the wicked concealeth violence. | ||
| 12 | Hatred stirreth up strifes; but love covereth all transgressions. | ||
| 13 | In the lips of him that hath discernment wisdom is found; but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding. | ||
| 14 | Wise men lay up knowledge; but the mouth of the foolish is an imminent ruin. | ||
| 15 | The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the ruin of the poor is their poverty. | ||
| 16 | he wages of the righteous is life; The increase of the wicked is sin. | ||
| 17 | He is in the way of life that heedeth instruction; But he that forsaketh reproof erreth. | ||
| 18 | He that hideth hatred is of lying lips; And he that uttereth a slander is a fool. | ||
| 19 | In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression; But he that refraineth his lips is wise. | ||
| 20 | The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver; The heart of the wicked is little worth. | ||
| 21 | The lips of the righteous feed many; But the foolish die for want of understanding. . | ||
| 22 | The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, And toil addeth nothing thereto. | ||
| 23 | It is as sport to a fool to do wickedness, And so is wisdom to a man of discernment. | ||
| 24 | The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; And the desire of the righteous shall be granted. | ||
| 25 | When the whirlwind passeth, the wicked is no more; But the righteous is an everlasting foundation. | ||
| 26 | As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, So is the sluggard to them that send him. | ||
| 27 | The fear of the LORD prolongeth days; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened. | ||
| 28 | The hope of the righteous is gladness; But the expectation of the wicked shall perish. | ||
| 29 | The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, But ruin to the workers of iniquity. | ||
| 30 | The righteous shall never be moved; But the wicked shall not inhabit the land. | ||
| 31 | The mouth of the righteous buddeth with wisdom; But the froward tongue shall be cut off. | ||
| 32 | The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable; But the mouth of the wicked is all frowardness. |
Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Hebrew are of the Masoretic Text, which includes the Aleppo Codex (10th century), and Codex Leningradensis (1008). Fragments containing parts of this chapter in Hebrew were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls including 4Q103 (4QProv; 30 BCE – 30 CE) with extant verses 30–32.[4]
There is also a translation into Koine Greek known as the Septuagint, made in the last few centuries BC. Extant ancient manuscripts of the Septuagint version include Codex Vaticanus (B;
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This chapter belongs to a section regarded as the second collection in the book of Proverbs (comprising Proverbs 10:1–22:16), also called "The First 'Solomonic' Collection" (the second one in Proverbs 25:1–29:27). The collection contains 375 sayings (375 is the numerical value of the Hebrew name "Solomon"), each of which consists of two parallel phrases, except for which consists of three parts.
The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is the grief of his mother.[5] This verse opens a new, different section, following parental appeals in chapters 1–9, with a proverb observing the effect on parents of the wisdom or folly of their child (cf. Proverbs 15:20; 17:21, 25), that not only brings the joy or sorrow of parents, but also the family's reputation (cf. Proverbs 28:7) and prosperity (cf. Proverbs 29:3).[6]
The rich man's wealth is his strong city:
the destruction of the poor is their poverty.[7]
. Michael D. Coogan . The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 . Coogan . Michael David . Marc Zvi . Brettler . Carol Ann . Newsom . Pheme . Perkins . Augmented 3rd . Oxford University Press . 2007 . 9780195288810 .
. Joseph Fitzmyer . A Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2008. 9780802862419. Grand Rapids, MI .
. Michael V. Fox . Proverbs 10-31: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary . Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries . Yale University Press . 2009 . 978-0300155563.
. Henry Hampton Halley. Halley's Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary . 24th (revised). Zondervan Publishing House . 1965 . 0-310-25720-4.