Proverbs13
New American Standard
1 A wise son accepts his father’s discipline, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.
2 From the fruit of a person’s mouth he enjoys good, But the desire of the treacherous is violence.
3 One who guards his mouth protects his life; One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
4 The soul of the lazy one craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made prosperous.
5 A righteous person hates a false statement, But a wicked person acts disgustingly and shamefully.
6 Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, But wickedness brings the sinner to ruin.
7 There is one who pretends to be rich but has nothing; Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.
8 The ransom of a person’s life is his wealth, But the poor hears no rebuke.
9 The light of the righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked goes out.
10 Through overconfidence comes nothing but strife, But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.
11 Wealth obtained from nothing dwindles, But one who gathers by labor increases it.
12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
13 One who despises the word will do badly, But one who fears the commandment will be rewarded.
14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn aside from the snares of death.
15 Good understanding produces favor, But the way of the treacherous is their own disaster.
16 Every prudent person acts with knowledge, But a fool displays foolishness.
17 A wicked messenger falls into adversity, But a faithful messenger brings healing.
18 Poverty and shame will come to one who neglects discipline, But one who complies with rebuke will be honored.
19 Desire realized is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.
20 One who walks with wise people will be wise, But a companion of fools will suffer harm.
21 Adversity pursues sinners, But the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.
22 A good person leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, And the wealth of a sinner is stored up for the righteous.
23 Abundant food is in the uncultivated ground of the poor, But it is swept away by injustice.
24 He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, But the stomach of the wicked is in need.
Study
Proverbs 13Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Proverbs 13. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
v1
There is great hope of those that reverence their parents. There is little hope of any who will not hear those that deal faithfully with them.
v2
By our words we must be justified or condemned, Mt 12:37.
v3
He that thinks before he speaks, that suppresses evil if he have thought it, keeps his soul from a great deal both of guilt and grief. Many a one is ruined by an ungoverned tongue.
Key Words
חָכָם: wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)
בֵּן: a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
אָב: father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
מוּסָר: properly, chastisement; figuratively, reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint
לוּץ: properly, to make mouths at, i.e. to scoff; hence (from the effort to pronounce a foreign language) to interpret, or (generally) intercede
לֹא: not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
שָׁמַע: to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)
גְּעָרָה: a chiding
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
פְּרִי: fruit (literally or figuratively)
Cross References
Proverbs 13JFB explicitly correlates 'opening wide the lips' with destruction, linking directly to Proverbs 10:14.
Supported by JFB
JFB links eating good from the mouth with the parallel principle in Proverbs 12:14.
Supported by JFB
By our words we must be justified or condemned; directly echoing guarding one's mouth.
Supported by Matthew Henry
JFB links refusing instruction to the same moral warning given in Proverbs 10:17.
Supported by JFB
The specific providence where the wealth of sinners ultimately transfers to the hands of the just.
Supported by JFB
The divine pattern of loving discipline in parenting, connecting loving correction with parental responsibility.
Supported by JFB
JFB correlates the contrasting behavior of wise and foolish/scorning sons to Proverbs 10:1.
Supported by JFB
Verbal echo of the 'lamp of the wicked' being 'put out' (extinguished).
Parallels 'fountain of life' and 'departing from the snares of death' almost word-for-word.
JFB connects the refusal of instruction with the self-inflicted spiritual poverty of Proverbs 12:1.
Supported by JFB
The sinner gathers and heaps up, only to give to him who is good before God.
Contrasts the fool despising his father's instruction with the prudent son regarding reproof.
Identical theological theme: keeping mouth and tongue guards the soul from troubles.
Parallels the desire of the sluggard versus the material and spiritual fatness of the diligent.
Contrasts the incremental, honest accumulation of wealth with sudden vanity and destruction.