1A deceitful scale is an abomination to Jehovah, but a perfect weight stone is His delight. 2Pride comes, then comes shame; but with the lowly is wisdom. 3The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of traitors shall destroy them. 4Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. 5The righteousness of the perfect shall make his way right, but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness. 6The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but traitors shall be taken in their lust. 7In the death of a wicked man, his expectation shall perish, and the hope of the wicked shall perish. 8The righteous is delivered from distress, and the wicked goes in instead of him. 9The hypocrite destroys his neighbor with his mouth, but the just is delivered through knowledge. 10When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation. 11A city is exalted by the blessing of the upright, but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown. 12One who despises his neighbor is without heart, but a man of understanding keeps quiet. 13One who goes around with slander reveals secrets, but the faithful spirit keeps the matter covered. 14In the absence of counsel the people fall, but there is safety in the abundance of counselors. 15He who is surety for a stranger will suffer, but he who hates striking of hands is secure. 16A gracious woman holds on to honor, and ruthless men hold on to riches. 17A merciful man does good to his own soul, but the cruel troubles his own flesh. 18The wicked does deceitful work, but one sowing righteousness receives honest wages. 19As righteousness leads to life, so the one pursuing evil does so to his own death. 20Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to Jehovah, but the perfect in their way are His delight. 21Though hand join to hand, the wicked shall not be held innocent, but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. 22As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a beautiful woman who has turned aside from discretion. 23The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath. 24There is one who scatters, yet increases more; but the one who withholds more than is right, tends to poverty. 25The blessed soul will be made fat; he who waters shall also be watered himself. 26He who holds back grain, the people curse him; but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it. 27He who diligently seeks good seeks favor; but he who inquires after evil, it shall come to him. 28He who trusts in his riches shall fall, but the righteous shall sprout like foliage. 29He who troubles his own house inherits the wind; and the fool is servant to the wise of heart. 30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he who leads souls is wise. 31Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed on the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 (Pro. 11:1-31)
(Compare Margin). The Hebrews used stones for weights.
just--complete in measure.
2 Self-conceit is unteachable; the humble grow wise (compare
Pro 16:18;
Pro 18:12).
3 guide--to lead, as a shepherd (
Pro 6:7;
Ps 78:52).
perverseness--ill-nature.
destroy--with violence.
4 (Compare
Pro 10:2).
wrath--that is, of God.
5 direct--or, "make plain"; wicked ways are not plain (
Pro 13:17).
6 deliver them--that is, from evil, which the wicked suffer by their own doings (
Pro 5:22;
Ps 9:16).
7 expectation . . . perish--for death cuts short all his plans (
Luke 16:25).
hope of unjust--better, "hope of wealth," or "power" (compare
Isa 40:29, Hebrew). This gives an advance on the sentiment of the first clause. Even hopes of gain die with him.
8 Perhaps the trouble prepared by the wicked, and which he inherits (compare
Pro 11:6).
9 (Compare
Ps 35:16;
Dan 11:32). The just is saved by superior discernment.
10 The last may be a reason for the first. Together, they set forth the relative moral worth of good and bad men.
11 By the blessing--implying active benevolence.
12 despiseth--or, "reviles," a course contrasted with the prudent silence of the wise.
holdeth his peace--as if neither hearing nor telling.
13 tale-bearer--(Compare Margin), one trading as a peddler in scandal, whose propensity to talk leads him to betray confidence.
14 counsel--the art of governing (
Pro 1:5).
counsellors--literally, "one giving counsel"; the participle used as a collective.
15 (Compare
Pro 6:1).
suretiship--(Compare Margin), the actors put for the action, which may be lawfully hated.
16 retaineth--or literally, "lay hold of as a support." Honor is to a feeble woman thus as valuable as riches to men.
17 merciful--kind to others; opposed to cruel. Such benefit themselves by doing good to others (compare
Pro 24:5), while the cruel injure themselves as well as others.
flesh--that is, his body, by penuriousness (
Col 2:23).
18 a deceitful work--or, "wages," which fail to satisfy, or flee away (
Pro 10:2;
Pro 23:5).
sure reward--or, "gain," as from trading (
Hos 10:12;
Gal 6:8-
Gal 6:9).
19 Inference from
Pro 11:18 (compare
Pro 11:5-
Pro 11:6;
Pro 10:16).
20 (Compare
Pro 11:5).
froward--as in
Pro 2:15, opposed to the simplicity and purity of the upright.
in their way--or, "conduct."
21 The combined power of the wicked cannot free them from just punishment, while the unaided children of the righteous find deliverance by reason of their pious relationship (
Ps 37:25-
Ps 37:26).
22 Jewels were often suspended from the nose (
Gen 24:47;
Isa 3:21). Thus adorned, a hog disgusts less than a fair and indiscreet woman.
23 (Compare
Pro 10:28).
wrath--is that of God.
24 The scope of the whole is a comment on
Pro 11:23. Thus liberality, by God's blessing, secures increase, while penuriousness, instead of expected gain, procures poverty.
25 liberal soul--(Compare Margin).
made fat--prospers (
Pro 28:25;
Deut 32:15;
Luke 6:38).
watereth . . . watered--a common figure for blessing.
26 Another example of the truth of
Pro 11:23; the miser loses reputation, though he saves corn.
selleth it--that is, at a fair price.
27 good [and] mischief--that is, of others.
procureth . . . seeketh--implying success.
28 (Compare
Pro 10:15;
Ps 49:6;
1Tim 6:17).
righteous . . . branch-- (
Ps 1:3;
Jer 17:8).
29 troubleth--as
Pro 15:27 explains, by greediness for gain (compare
Pro 11:17).
inherit . . . wind--Even successful, his gains are of no real value. So the fool, thus acting, either comes to poverty, or heaps up for others.
30 a tree of life--Blessings to others proceed from the works of the righteous (
Pro 3:18).
winneth souls--(Compare Margin) to do them good as opposed to
Pro 6:25;
Ezek 13:18 (compare
Luke 5:10).
31 Behold--Thus calling attention to the illustrations (compare
Pro 11:23), the sentiment of which is confirmed even in time, not excluding future rewards and punishments.