Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament
Proverbs 14
Proverbs 14: the wise woman's house, the way that seems right, the poor, and the king
General context
Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish plucks it down with her hands. He that walks uprightly fears the Lord. Where no oxen are the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox. A faithful witness will not lie. A scorner seeks wisdom and does not find it. The hearer is told to go from the presence of a foolish man. The heart knows its own bitterness, and a stranger does not intermeddle with its joy. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown, the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish. There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the ways of death; even in laughter the heart is sorrowful. The simple believes every word, the prudent man looks well to his going; a wise man fears and departs from evil, the fool rages and is confident. The poor is hated even of his own neighbour, the rich has many friends; he that has mercy on the poor is happy. In all labour there is profit, but the talk of the lips tends only to penury. A true witness delivers souls. In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence, and the fear of the Lord is a fountain of life. In the multitude of people is the king's honour. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding. A sound heart is the life of the flesh, envy the rottenness of the bones. He that oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker. The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, the righteous has hope in his death. Righteousness exalts a nation, sin is a reproach to any people. The king's favour is toward a wise servant, his wrath against him that causes shame.
Cited passages: Proverbs 14:1, Proverbs 14:2, Proverbs 14:3, Proverbs 14:4, Proverbs 14:5, Proverbs 14:6, Proverbs 14:7, Proverbs 14:9, Proverbs 14:10, Proverbs 14:11, Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 14:13, Proverbs 14:15, Proverbs 14:16, Proverbs 14:20, Proverbs 14:21, Proverbs 14:23, Proverbs 14:25, Proverbs 14:26, Proverbs 14:27, Proverbs 14:28, Proverbs 14:29, Proverbs 14:30, Proverbs 14:31, Proverbs 14:32, Proverbs 14:34, Proverbs 14:35
Proverbs 14 (KJV)
1Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
2He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.
3In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
4Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.
5A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
6A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.
7Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.
8The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.
9Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.
10The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.
11The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
13Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.
14The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
15The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.
16A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
17He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.
18The simple inherit folly: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
20The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
21He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
22Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.
23In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.
24The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.
25A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.
26In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
27The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
28In the multitude of people is the king’s honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince.
29He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
30A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
31He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
32The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.
33Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known.
34Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
35The king’s favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.
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Historical context
The chapter carries no heading and names no person, king, nation or place. The Lord is named in verses 2, 26 and 27, and verse 31 speaks of "his Maker", linking the treatment of the poor to the one who made the oppressor, without naming him further. A king and a prince appear in verses 28 and 35 as general figures; the text does not say which king, and it treats his honour as depending on the number of his people. The saying in verse 12 about the way that seems right is repeated word for word at 16:25. Verse 27 repeats 13:14 with "The fear of the Lord" in place of "The law of the wise". Two sayings on witnesses (verses 5 and 25) assume testimony that can deliver or destroy, but no court, case or law is described. Verses 10 and 13 make statements about the inner life, bitterness and joy the heart keeps to itself and sorrow present inside laughter, and they are stated as observations rather than as commands. The opening verse gives a woman the work of building or plucking down a house; it does not say whose house beyond "her house". Nothing in the chapter identifies the "nation" or "people" of verse 34.
Cited passages: Proverbs 14:2, Proverbs 14:31, Proverbs 14:28, Proverbs 14:35, Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 16:25, Proverbs 14:27, Proverbs 13:14, Proverbs 14:5, Proverbs 14:25, Proverbs 14:10, Proverbs 14:13, Proverbs 14:1, Proverbs 14:34
Literary context
The antithetic pair is still the basic unit, but the chapter admits more forms than chapters 10 to 13. Verse 7 is a command, "Go from the presence of a foolish man". Verses 10, 13, 14, 19 and 26 have no "but" and instead state a single observation or extend one thought over two lines, and verse 12 uses "but" to turn one way against its own end rather than to set two people against each other. Verses 10 and 13 differ from the rest in placing the contrast inside one heart rather than between two kinds of people. Subjects return at a distance: the witness in verses 5 and 25, the king in verses 28 and 35, which together close the chapter, and the fear of the Lord in verses 26 and 27, set back to back. The house image opens the chapter with the wise woman building and returns in verse 11 with the house of the wicked overthrown and the tabernacle of the upright flourishing. "The simple" and "the prudent" are paired twice, in verses 15 and 18. The concrete farm saying in verse 4 argues from a clean crib to the ox's strength, weighing a cost against its gain. The verses on the poor (20, 21, 31) move from a plain observation, the poor hated by his own neighbour, to a judgment, despising him is sin, to a theological claim, oppressing him reproaches his Maker.
Cited passages: Proverbs 14:7, Proverbs 14:19, Proverbs 14:26, Proverbs 14:13, Proverbs 14:5, Proverbs 14:25, Proverbs 14:28, Proverbs 14:35, Proverbs 14:27, Proverbs 14:11, Proverbs 14:15, Proverbs 14:18, Proverbs 14:4, Proverbs 14:20, Proverbs 14:21, Proverbs 14:31
Key moments
- The wise woman builds (Proverbs 14:1). A wise woman builds her house; the foolish pulls it down with her hands.
- Where no oxen are (Proverbs 14:4). A clean crib is set against the increase that comes by the ox's strength.
- The way that seemeth right (Proverbs 14:12). A way that seems right to a man is said to end in the ways of death.
- Sorrow in laughter (Proverbs 14:13). Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and mirth ends in heaviness.
- Mercy on the poor (Proverbs 14:21). Despising a neighbour is sin; showing mercy to the poor brings happiness.
- A fountain of life (Proverbs 14:27). The fear of the Lord is called a fountain of life that turns from the snares of death.
- Reproaching his Maker (Proverbs 14:31). Oppressing the poor reproaches their Maker; honouring him means mercy on the poor.
For reflection
Verse 10 says the heart knows its own bitterness and a stranger does not intermeddle with its joy. What is a collection of shared sayings doing with a line that says some things cannot be shared?