The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding.
Parallel Translations
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The lips of the righteous feed many, but the foolish die for lack of understanding.
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The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
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The lips of the righteous feed many; but the foolish die for want of understanding.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (20)
Passages linked to Proverbs 10:21 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you may be no priest to me. Because you have forgotten your God’s law, I will also forget your children.
- Proverbs 17:16 Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding?
- Proverbs 1:29 because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.
- Job 4:3-4 Behold, you have instructed many, you have strengthened the weak hands. Your words have supported him who was falling, You have made firm the feeble knees.
- Ecclesiastes 12:9-10 Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.
- Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside.
- Proverbs 15:4 A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but deceit in it crushes the spirit.
- Job 23:12 I haven’t gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
- Job 29:21-22 “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel. After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them.
- Proverbs 1:31 Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.
- Proverbs 5:12 and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;
- Proverbs 5:23 He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.
- Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals.
- Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by your name, Yahweh, God of Armies.
- John 3:19-20 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.
- Psalms 37:30 The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom. His tongue speaks justice.
- Jeremiah 3:15 I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
- John 21:15-17 So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?” Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
- Romans 1:28 Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
- 1 Peter 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly;
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain For they speak truth, and edify many by exhortations,…
For they speak truth, and edify many by exhortations, admonition, and counsel.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Pro 10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many:…
Pro 10:21 The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.
Ver. 21. The lips of the righteous feed many.] A great housekeeper he is, hath his doors ever open, and, though himself be poor, yet he "maketh many rich." {2Co 6:10} He well knows that to this end God put "honey and milk under his tongue," {Son 4:11} that he might look to this spiritual lip feeding. To this end hath he communicated to him those "rivers of water," {Joh 7:38} that they may flow from him, to quench that world of wickedness that, being "set on fire of hell, would set on fire the whole course of nature." {Jas 3:6} They are "empty vines that bear fruit to themselves." {Hos 10:1} Those are void houses, we say, where the doors daily open not. The people hung upon - εξεκρεματο - our Saviour’s lips as the young bird doth on the dam’s bill. {Luk 19:48} Bishop Ridley preached every Lord’s day and holiday, except letted by some weighty business, to whose sermons the people resorted, saith Master Foxe, {a} swarming about him like bees, and coveting the sweet juice of his gracious discourses. Look how Joseph nourished his father’s household with bread, "according to their families," or "according to the mouths of their families" {b} {Gen 47:12} So doth the righteous man those of his own charge especially. Welfare Popery for that, saith a grave divine. {c} I have heard old folks talk, that when in those days they had holy bread, as they called it, given them at church, they would bear a part of it to those that did abide at home. So should heads of families carry home the bread of life to their households.
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But fools die for want of wisdom.] By their either refusing or abusing the food of their souls As the Pharisees, they "pine away in their iniquities." {Lev 26:39}
{a} Acts and Mon., fol. 1559.
{b} Chepi tappam.
{c} Mr Sam. Hier.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Feed many, by their wise and pious discourses, counsels,…
Feed many, by their wise and pious discourses, counsels, and comforts, which are so many evidences of their wisdom.
Die for want of wisdom; they have not wisdom to feed or preserve themselves, much less to feed others.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain The lips of the righteous feed many,.... Not their…
The lips of the righteous feed many,.... Not their bodies; words are but wind, and will not feed; it is not enough to say to the distressed, "be ye warmed and filled", and give nothing; unless this can be understood of obtaining food for others by their prayers, as Jarchi interprets it: but the souls of many; these the righteous feed, by communicating the spiritual knowledge and understanding of divine things they are partakers of; by setting before them the bread of life, the honey and milk of the Gospel, they have under their tongue; and by the good counsel and advice, comforts and admonitions, they give them; see Jer 3:15;
but fools die for want of wisdom: not a corporeal death, which is common to men of every rank and quality; wise men die even as fools; but they continue under the power of a spiritual death, for want of enlightening and quickening grace, and so die an eternal death: not for want of natural wisdom, which they may have a greater share of than those who live spiritually and eternally; but for want of spiritual wisdom and knowledge; the knowledge of Christ, and the way of life and salvation by him, and the knowledge of God in Christ; and not always for the want of the means of such wisdom and knowledge; as the Scriptures, which are able to make a man wise unto salvation; and the Gospel, which is the wisdom of God in a mystery; but through the neglect and contempt of them: though sometimes men perish through want of the means of knowledge, and the neglect of those who should instruct them, Hos 4:6.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Feed - By their wise discourses and counsels. Die…
Feed - By their wise discourses and counsels. Die - They have not wisdom to preserve themselves, much less to feed others.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Feed - The Hebrew word, like ποιμαίνειν poimainein, includes…
Feed - The Hebrew word, like ποιμαίνειν poimainein, includes the idea of guiding as well as nourishing; doing a shepherd’s work in both.
For want of wisdom - Some prefer, through him who wanteth understanding, referring to a person. The wise guides others to safety; the fool, empty-headed, and empty-hearted, involves others like himself in destruction.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Understanding. Literally, "hear." (Haydock) (Ver. 13.)
Understanding. Literally, "hear." (Haydock) (Ver. 13.)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Fools not only fail to benefit others, as do…
Fools not only fail to benefit others, as do the righteous, but procure their own ruin (compare Pro 10:11, Pro 10:17; Hos 4:6).
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 21. Feed many — Instruct them with their wisdom…
21. Feed many — Instruct them with their wisdom and guiding counsels.
But fools — The unwise. With the wise there is abundance, with the unwise, famine. The antithesis lies between that which is implied in the first member, plenty, and that which is expressed in the second, “want,” lack, poverty. Compare Pro_10:11; Pro_10:17.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 21. feed] In the wider sense perhaps which the…
21. feed] In the wider sense perhaps which the word commonly has, supply the wants of, as a shepherd does.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (21) The lips of the righteous feed many—i.e., sustain…
(21) The lips of the righteous feed many—i.e., sustain them by words of counsel, encouragement, and comfort, giving to each one his “meat in due season “(Mat_24:45).
Fools.—Headstrong, obstinate persons (Pro_1:7).
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For want of wisdom.—Or it may be translated, “Through one who is destitute of wisdom.” As one righteous man will guide many aright, so one unwise man will lead many fools to ruin.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Feed many. The righteous by wise counsel teach, support,…
Feed many. The righteous by wise counsel teach, support, and guide others. (Ecc_12:11 Jer_3:15) So the clergy are the shepherds of their flocks. (Joh_21:15 Act_20:28 1Pe_5:2) The LXX has a different reading, "know high things." Fools die for want of wisdom. Far from "feeding" others, they bring ruin on themselves. (Pro_5:23) Others translate, "die through one who wanteth understanding;" but if the Hebrew will bear this rendering, it is obvious that fools need no guide to their fall; their fate is a natural result. In this case the meaning must be that the foolish man involves others in destruction. But it is best to translate as the Authorized Version.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain v. 21. The lips of the righteous feed many,…
v. 21. The lips of the righteous feed many, the counsel of their wholesome instruction serving as nourishment for heart and intellect; but fools die for want of wisdom, bringing misfortune and destruction upon themselves by their persistent rejection of true understanding.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.