Proverbs 11:4

Pro 11:4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Ver. 4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath.] Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath. {Zep 1:18 Isa 13:7} Yea, they carried away the richer Jews, when the poorer sort were left to till the land. {2Ki 24:14} The great Caliph of Babylon, whom all the Mohammedan princes honoured above all others, as the true successor of Mohammed, and the grand oracle of their law, being taken together with his city by the great Cham of Tartary, was by him set in the midst of his infinite treasure, and willed to feed thereon, and make no spare; in which order, the covetous wretch, being kept for certain days, miserably died for hunger, in the midst of those things, whereof he thought he should never have enough. {a} Wherefore should I die, being so rich? said that wretched Cardinal Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester, in Henry VI’s time. Fie, quoth he, will not death be hired? will money do nothing? {b} His riches could not reprieve him.

But righteousness delivereth from death.] {See Trapp on "Pro 10:2"}

{a} Turk. Hist., fol. 113.

{b} Acts and Mon., fol. 925.

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.

Pro 11:4-6. Riches profit not in the day of wrath — In the time of God’s judgments, when he is executing vengeance upon sinners; but righteousness delivereth, &c. — See note on Pro 10:2. The righteousness of the perfect shall direct, &c. — Shall bring all his designs and endeavours to a happy issue, and deliver him from many snares and dangers, Pro 11:6.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11:4 Right living, which flows from wisdom, is more important than riches. Nothing is wrong with riches (10:15, 22; 14:24) that are gained properly (cp. 13:11; 21:6; 22:16).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Note, 1. The day of death will be a day of wrath. It is a messenger of God's wrath; therefore when Moses had meditated on man's mortality he takes occasion thence to admire the power of God's anger, Psa 110:1-7 :11. It is a debt owing, not to nature, but to God's justice. After death the judgment, and that is a day of wrath, Rev 6:17. 2. Riches will stand men in no stead that day. They will neither put by the stroke nor ease the pain, much less take out the sting; what profit will this world's birth-rights be of then? In the day of public judgments riches often expose men rather than protect them, Eze 7:19. 3. It is righteousness only that will deliver from the evil of death. A good conscience will make death easy, and take off the terror of it; it is the privilege of the righteous only not to be hurt of the second death, and so not much hurt by the first.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(Compare Pro 10:2).

wrath--that is, of God.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath] Among men they can do all things; but they cannot purchase the remission of sins, nor turn aside the wrath of God when that is poured out upon the opulent transgressor.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(4) In the day of wrath.—Riches profit in no day of wrath when God “visits” His people to take account of their evil doings; much less will they avail in “the day” (1Co_3:13).

Righteousness delivereth from death.—See above on Pro_10:2.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4. in the day of wrath] “While the words are true in their highest sense of the great ‘Dies iræ’ of the future, they speak in the first instance, as do the like words in Zep_1:15-18, of any ‘day of the Lord,’ any time of judgement, when men or nations receive the chastisement of their sins. At such times ‘riches profit not.’ ” Speaker’s Comm.

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.

Riches profit not in the day of wrath,.... When God takes away the soul, and summons to judgment, and brings to it; and as riches profited not Rome Pagan, in the day of the Lamb's wrath upon it; so neither will they profit Rome Papal, when it will come in remembrance before God, to give it the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath; see Rev 6:15;

but righteousness delivereth from death; from the curse of a corporeal death; from the power of a spiritual one; and from dying the second or an eternal one; See Gill on Pro 10:2; the Targum is,

"from an evil death.''

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The day of wrath - Words true in their highest sense of the great “diesirae” of the future, but spoken in the first instance (compare Zep 1:15-18) of any “day of the Lord,” any time of judgment, when men or nations receive the chastisement of their sins. At such a time “riches profit not.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

In the day of wrath; in the time of God’s judgments, when he is executing wrath and vengeance upon sinners.

Righteousness, or mercy, as this word is oft rendered; or charity to the poor, which is fitly opposed to riches laid up in store.

Delivereth from death; it moveth God to deliver them ofttimes from temporal calamities, and always from eternal death, where such actions are done from a right principle.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

4. Riches profit not — Are of no use.

In the day of wrath — That is, of divine wrath; so the word is often used. Compare Job_21:30; Eze_7:19; Zep_1:18; Pro_10:2-3. It probably refers to great calamities, such as war, pestilence, or famine.

But righteousness (often) delivereth from death — This is almost the same as ch. Pro_10:2. The author may have had some particular case in his mind (easily conceived) which illustrated it.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Profit not; afford no refuge. (Pro_10:2) In the day of wrath, (Pro_6:34) when God visits individuals or nations to punish them for sin (comp. Ecc_5:8). Such visitations are often spoken of. (comp. Isa_10:3 Eze_7:19 Zep_1:15, Zep_1:18, etc.) More especially will this be true in me great dies irae. Righteousness... death. (see on Pro_10:2; and comp. RAPC Tob 4:10 12:9) The Septuagint here adds a sentence which is similar to ver. 10: "When the righteous dieth he leaveth regret, but the destruction of the wicked is easy and delightsome (proceirov kai epicartov )."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Three proverbs in praise of צדקה:

4 Possessions are of no profit in the day of wrath;

But righteousness delivereth from death.

That which is new here, is only that possessions and goods (vid., regarding הון, p. 63) are destitute of all value in the day of the μέλλουσα ὀργή; for יום עברה, the day of wrath breaking through the limits (of long-suffering), has the same meaning as in the prophets; and such prophetic words as Isa 10:3; Zep 1:18, and, almost in the same words, Eze 7:19, are altogether similar to this proverb. The lxx, which translates ἐν ήμέρᾳ ἐπαγωγῆς, harmonizes in expression with Sir. 5:8, cf. 2:2. Theodotion translates איד, Pro 27:10, by ἐπαγωγή (providence, fate).

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

v. 4. Riches profit not in the day of wrath, when God prepares to judge the earth; but righteousness delivereth from death, true righteousness of life will be found acceptable in the Last Day.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.