Proverbs 19:23

Pro 19:23 The fear of the LORD [tendeth] to life: and [he that hath it] shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

Ver. 23. The fear of the Lord tendeth to life, &c.] Life, saturity, {a} and security from evil (from the hurt, if not from the smart of it) are all assured here to those that fear God. Who would not then turn spiritual purchaser? See Pro 22:4.

{a} Saturatus pernoctabit, He shall not go supperless to bed.

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_19:23

The fear of the Lord tendeth to life.

The happy life

Godliness has the promise of the life that now is. It might have been otherwise. Infinite Benevolence would have His saints to be happy. As God is the source of all happiness in heaven, so all contact with God brings happiness here.

I. The fear of the Lord. Not that dread of God that is in a sense innate in every unconverted and unregenerate soul, nor that dread which comes into the heart of man when the Holy Spirit opens up the law of God to him, nor the dread that comes into the heart of an unfaithful and backsliding Christian. This is the fear of a child, wrought in the soul by the Spirit. This fear comes from a view of Jesus, from a sight of God in Christ.

II. Great blessings connected with this fear.

1. This fear tendeth to life; that is, to prolong life, and that a true life.

2. He that hath it shall abide satisfied. There is some satisfaction in lower things, but not abiding satisfaction. Everything connected with the service of God has an unutterable blessing in it.

3. He shall not be visited with evil. Though there may come to him a thousand things that seem only evil, not one real evil shall befall him. (J. H. Evans, M. A.)

The blessedness of the fear of the Lord

Life, satisfaction, freedom from evil! What more can be wanted? And what is there that can bring all this, except the one thing which is mentioned in the text--the fear of the Lord? Oh, why, then, are other things so eagerly sought, and this one thing so lamentably neglected? The fear of the Lord often stands in Scripture for the whole of true religion; just as we find the love of God or the keeping of His commandments put for the same thing. The fear of the Lord is that disposition of grace given by His own Spirit to His children whereby they regard Him, their heavenly Father, with a holy awe and reverence and filial dread of offending Him. Of the wicked it is said that there is no fear of God before his eyes. He lives, he acts, he speaks, he meditates evil, as if there were no God observing and taking account of his every thought and word and deed.

I. the fear of the Lord tendeth to life. The fear of the Lord, in many cases, prolongeth days even in this world. For while the wicked and the sinner often, through his own transgressions and excesses, shortens his life, and perhaps does not live out half his days, the fear of the Lord frequently, through His blessing, brings health and long life. It does so partly through the temperance and weft-regulated habits to which it leads, and partly through the peace, contentment, and happiness which it causes to the mind, and which are better than medicine for the health of the body.

II. But now let us observe the next thing which is said in connection with the fear of the Lord: He that hath it shall abide satisfied; not only shall be, but shall abide, satisfied. Satisfaction, thorough, abiding satisfaction--is not this the thing which every soul of man desires above all the things that can be named? Riches, honour, power, pleasure, all the so-called goods of earth--are these things desired, even by the most worldly, for their own sake? or are they not coveted rather for the sake of the satisfaction which it is secretly thought they will furnish? But do they, can they furnish satisfaction? Alas! how often do the choicest and most valued earthly prizes wither and crumble in the grasp of those who have attained them! And here we are led to look into the nature and reasons of the abiding satisfaction enjoyed by him that hath the fear of the Lord. Such a person is united to God through Christ. And this being his happy case, he has God in Christ as his portion and exceeding great reward. And who or what can satisfy as God can? God, the infinite and eternal God, has pleasures, comforts, satisfactions, joys, with which He can so fill the soul as to give it the most perfect and overflowing contentment and happiness, and that for ever and ever. It is true that the complete and absolute perfection of this contentment and happiness cannot be enjoyed in this world of sin and trouble; but still it is equally true that, even here, great and blessed, albeit imperfect and partial, foretastes may be enjoyed of what will be perfect and complete hereafter.

III. He that hath it shall not be visited with evil. What a blessed and cheering promise, in a world like ours, which is so full of evil! But what are we to understand by this promise? Have not the chosen of God, in multitudes of cases, appeared to inherit even a more than ordinary share of trouble and calamity? Certainly, God has often wrought out wonderful deliverances from such outward evil for His chosen; and every one of them would, doubtless, freely acknowledge that he has never been visited with such things as often or as severely as his sins have deserved. But, on the other hand, it is also undeniable that painful losses, cutting griefs, and sore temptations have visited Gods children more or less from the beginning, and at times with remarkable severity. And were not these things evil? No, never were any of them really evil to a single one of the true children of God, who feared His name. Though evil in their own nature, they were not evil to them. Even the most trying and painful things work through Gods grace for great good in forming the soul to faith and patience, and unworldliness, and humble waiting upon God; so that affliction is made a school of training and most blessed discipline for heaven. It is good for me that I have been afflicted. Yes, there shall no evil happen to the just, no evil that shall hurt his spiritual and eternal interests, no evil which he will think of pronouncing such when he has once quitted this world, where evil is so commonly called good, good evil; and, when he finds himself in that happy state of existence, in which he will no longer see through a glass darkly, but with clear, full, and perfect vision. (C. R. Hay, M. A.)

The fruits of personal religion

I. Vitality. It tendeth to life.

1. It is conducive to bodily life.

2. It is conducive to intellectual life. Love to God stimulates the intellect to study God and His works.

3. It is conducive to spiritual life. This is life eternal, to know Thee, etc.

II. Satisfaction. Shall abide satisfied.

1. It pacifies the conscience.

2. It reconciles to providence. Not My will, but Thine be done.

III. Safety. He shall not be visited with evil. He may have sufferings, but sufferings in his case will not be evils; they will be blessings in disguise. His light afflictions will work out a far more exceeding and eternal glory. (Homilist.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See what those that get by it that live in the fear of God, and always make conscience of their duty to him. 1. Safety: They shall not be visited with evil; they may be visited with sickness or other afflictions, but there shall be no evil in them, nothing to hurt them, because nothing to separate them from the love of God, or hurt to the soul. 2. Satisfaction: They shall abide satisfied; they shall have those comforts which are satisfying, and shall have a constant contentment and complacency in them. It is a satisfaction which will abide, whereas all the satisfactions of sense are transient and soon gone. Satur pernoctabit, non cubabit incoenatus - He shall not go supperless to bed; he shall have that which will make him easy and be an entertainment to him in his silent and solitary hours, Psa 16:6, Psa 16:7. 3. True and complete happiness. Serious godliness has a direct tendency to life; to all good, to eternal life; it is the sure and ready way to it; there is something in the nature of it fitting men for heaven and so leading them to it.

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

The fear . . . life--(Compare Pro 3:2).

abide--or, "remain contented" (Ti1 4:8).

not visited with evil-- (Pro 10:3; Psa 37:25), as a judgment, in which sense visit is often used (Psa 89:32; Jer 6:15).

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

(23) The fear of the Lord tendeth to life.—To life in this world, the reward of uprightness promised to the Israelites of old (Isa_37:29); and to life in the next (Mar_10:30).

He shall not be visited with evil.—(Comp. Lev_26:6.) A higher blessing is promised in the New Testament; not immunity from trouble, for trouble may be needed for advance in holiness (Rom_8:28), but protection in it (1Pe_3:13; Rom_8:35, sqq.).

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

The fear of the Lord tendeth to life,.... "Godliness", of which the fear of the Lord is a principal part, has "the promise of this life and that to come", Ti1 4:8, the fear of God is the beginning of a spiritual life; and it leads to eternal life, as Gersom observes, and is connected with it;

and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; with his lot and portion in this life; with the good things of it he has, being content therewith and "godliness with contentment is great gain", Ti1 6:6, such a man has enough; he has all things in a spiritual sense; he is full of the blessings of goodness; he is blessed with all spiritual blessings; his mouth is satisfied, and his mind is filled with good things; and so he rests and abides night after night, and day after day;

he shall not be visited with evil; nothing shall hurt him; all his afflictions, his worst things, his evil ones: work together for his good; and they shall never separate from the love of God, nor anything that befalls him in this life, Rom 8:28; see Psa 91:10.

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

Shall abide satisfied - Better, one that is satisfied hath a sure abiding-place. The word “abide” has, most probably, here as elsewhere, its original sense of “passing the night.” Even in the hour of darkness he shall be free from fear.

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

Life. Both temporal and eternal, chap. x. 27. (Calmet) --- With evil. Literally, "the worst," pessima. (Haydock) --- Sixtus V, "by the most wicked one." The devil shall have no power over him.

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).

Shall abide satisfied; shall want nothing, and shall be fully contented with God’s favour and blessing.

With evil; with any destructive affliction.

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

23. Fear… tendeth to life — This is in the spirit of the old dispensation — an assurance of life, security, and happiness in this world to them that fear the Lord. Pro_10:3; Pro_10:29; Pro_14:26. Under the new order of things the principle is the same, but the working of it is modified. “All things work together for good to them that love God.” Rom_8:28. Conant renders last clause: “And, sated, shall one repose, nor be visited with evil.”

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

The fear of the Lord tendeth to life. (Pro_14:27) True religion, obedience to God"s commandments, was, under a temporal dispensation, rewarded by a long and happy life in this world, an adumbration of the blessedness that awaits the righteous in the world to come. And he that hath it shall abide satisfied. The subject passes from "the fear" to its possessor. Perhaps better, and satisfied he shall pass the night, which is the usual sense of Wl (lun), the verb here translated "abide". (so Pro_15:31) God will satisfy the good man"s hunger, so that he lays him down in peace and takes his rest. (comp. Pro_10:3) Vulgate, In plenitudine commorabitur, "He shall dwell in abundance." He shall not be visited with evil, according to the, promises. (Lev_26:6 Deu_11:15, etc.) Under our present dispensation Christians expect not immunity from care and trouble, but have hope of protection and grace sufficient for the occasion, and conducive to edification and advance in holiness. The LXX translates thus: "The fear of the Lord is unto life for a man; but he that is without fear (o de afobov ) shall sojourn in places where knowledge is not seen;" i.e. shall go from bad to worse, till he ends in society where Divine knowledge is wholly absent, and lives without God in the world. The Greek interpreters read D (dea), "knowledge," instead of r (ra), "evil.

The praise of piety.

What could he said more than is said here in praise of piety? What more or better could anything do for us than

I ENSURE OUR SAFETY. So that we shall not be visited with evil. But is not the good man visited with evil? Do not his crops fail, his vessels sink, his shares fall, his difficulties gather, his children die? Does not his health decline, his hope depart, his life lessen? Yes; but:

1. From the worst evils his piety secures him. The "fear of the Lord," that Holy One before whom he stands and with whom he walks, keeps him from folly, from fraud, from vice, from moral contamination, from that "death in life" which is the thing to be dreaded and avoided.

2. And the troubles and sorrows which do assail him lose all their bitterness as they wear the aspect of a heavenly Father"s discipline, who, in all that he sends or suffers, is seeking the truest and the lasting well being of his children. The man who is living in the fear of God, and in the love of Jesus Christ, may go on his homeward way with no anxiety in his heart, for he has the promise of his Saviour that all things shall work together for good those things that are the least pleasant as well as those that are the most inviting.

II SATISFY OUR SOUL. "Shall abide satisfied." Certainly it is only the man of real piety of whom this word can be used. Discontent is the mark which "the world and the things which are in the world" leave on the countenance and write on the heart of man. Nothing that is less than the Divine gives rest to the human spirit. Mirth, enjoyment, temporary happiness, may be commanded, but not abiding satisfaction. That, however, is found in the devoted service of a Divine Redeemer. Let a man yield himself, his whole powers and all his life, to the Saviour who 1oved him unto death, and in following and serving him he will "find rest unto his soul." Not half-hearted but whole-hearted service brings the joy which no accident can remove and which time does not efface or even lessen. The secret of lifelong blessedness is found, not in the assertion of an impossible freedom from obligation, but in an open, practicable, elevating service of the living God, our Divine Saviour.

III CONSTITUTE OUR LIFE AND CONDUCT TO A STILL HIGHER FORM OF IT. "The fear of the Lord tendeth to life." It is not merely that a regard for God"s will conduces to health and leads to long life; (Psa_91:16) it is not only that it tends to secure to its possessor an honourable and estimable life among men. It is much more than this; it is that it constitutes human life. "This is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God." For man to live in ignorance or in forgetfulness of his Divine Father is to miss or to lose his life while he has it (or seems to have it). On the other hand, to live a life of reverence, of trustfulness in God, of love to him, of filial obedience and submission, of cheerful and devoted cooperation with him in the great redemptive work he is outworking, to be attaining more and more to his own spiritual likeness, this is life itself, life in its excellency, its fulness, its beauty. Moreover, it itself, with all its worth, is but the prelude of that which is to come. It is the "fair beginning" of that which shall realize a glorious consummation a little further on. With all that hinders and hampers taken away, and with all that facilitates and enlarges bestowed upon us, we enter upon the nobler life beyond, which we have no language to describe because we have no faculty that can conceive its blessedness or its glory.

1. Let the perils of human life point to a Divine Refuge.

2. Let the weariness of earthly good lend to the Divine Source of rest and joy.

3. In the midst of the death fulness of sin, lay hold on eternal life. C.

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

Satisfied - Shall be fully contented with God's favour and blessing.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

23 The fear of Jahve tendeth to life;

Satisfied, one spendeth the night, not visited by evil.

The first line is a variation of Pro 14:27. How the fear of God thus reacheth to life, i.e., helps to a life that is enduring, free from care and happy, 23b says: the promises are fulfilled to the God-fearing, Deu 11:15 and Lev 26:6; he does not go hungry to bed, and needs fear no awakening in terror out of his soft slumber (Pro 3:24). With ו explic., 23a is explained. לין שׂבע means to spend the night (the long night) hungry. as לין ערוּם, Job 24:7, to pass the night in nakedness (cold). נפקד, of visitation of punishment, we read also at Isa 29:6, and instead of בּרע, as it might be according to this passage, we have here the accus. of the manner placing the meaning of the Niph. beyond a doubt (cf. Pro 11:15, רע, in an evil manner). All is in harmony with the matter, and is good Heb.; on the contrary, Hitzig's ingenuity introduces, instead of שׂבעו, an unheard of word, ושׂרע, "and he stretches himself." One of the Greeks excellently translates: καὶ ἐμπλησθεὶς αὐλισθήσεται ἄνευ ἐπισκοπῆς πονηρᾶς. The lxx, which instead of רע, γνῶσις, translates thus, דּע, discredits itself. The Midrash - Lagarde says of its translation - varies in colour like an opal. In other words, it handles the text like wax, and forms it according to its own taste, like the Midrash with its "read not so, but so."

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.)

The fear of the LORD as a legal principle, it is a privilege to be exempt from.†1 As a grace of the gospel, cultivate it to the uttermost.†2 Threefold fruit is here set before us — life — satisfaction — security.†3 It tendeth to life — not the mere natural life, common to the ungodly — (though this blessing, so far as is good, is included†4), but a heavenly, yea — an eternal, life†5 in the favor and enjoyment of God. So far as we are under its influence, we speak, pray, think, and deal with man, as if God was standing by. The genial beams of "the Sun of righteousness" nourish this holy principle (Mal 4:2 ); and soon will it be perfected in the service above. (Rev 15:3-4 .)

Meanwhile the satisfaction which it imparts is a precious privilege. The service of God is now our delight — our "great delight." The law is no task-master over our heads, but a principle of life and joyous energy within. The worldling’s heart is torn with ’an aching void.’ He travels from one source of happiness to another, crying — "Who will shew me any good?" "LORD! lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me" — is the cry and solid satisfaction of a child of God, above the best portion of earth. (Psa 4:6-7 .) Instead of being cast from wave to wave, here is quiet rest. Whoever wants, "they that fear the LORD want no good thing. Their souls dwell at ease." (Psa 34:9-10 ; Psa 25:12-13 .) He that hath it shall abide satisfied. Is not this fixed repose and trust in his love the very soul of happiness?

If it be said, that an object of fear usually brings dread. ’But add, whom — He that feareth the LORD. That touch turns it into gold. He that so fears, fears not.’†6 He has his "confidence and place of refuge — high and sure, an impregnable fortress." (Pro 14:26 .) We do not begin to inquire the way. "God is known in the palaces of Zion as a sure refuge." (Psa 48:3 .) We go to him as a God, with whom we are acquainted, and who is engaged in covenant to us. And now taking our sanctuary in God, we sit, and sing under his shadow. In this hiding-place how can any evil, properly so called, visit us? (Pro 12:21 .) What is evil in itself will turn to good. (Rom 8:28 . Heb 12:11 .) It cannot separate from God. It will tend only to bind us closer to him. We can tread upon scorpions unhurt, when our conscience is kept tender, and our heart fixed in his ways. We fear not his uplifted arm. But his frown of rebuke "enters into our soul." His mercy sweeps away the fear of terror. His holiness maintains the fear of reverence. Conscious security only tends more than ever to make us dread departure and separation from his love.

Footnotes:

†1 Luk 1:74. Rom 8:15 . 2Ti 1:7 .

†2 Heb 12:28. 1Pe 1:17 .

†3 See Sir 34:15-17 .

†4 Pro 9:11; Pro 10:27 .

†5 Psa 33:18-19; Psa 34:11-12 .

†6 Leighton’s Sermon on Psa 112:7

Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

fear

(See Scofield "Psa 19:9").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

v. 23. The fear of the Lord tendeth to life, it shows and points the way to the true life in the Lord; and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil, because Jehovah will protect, promote, and in every way bless such a man.

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

Honor for Yahweh leads people to life; anyone who has it will be satisfied

This means that they will live a long time if they honor Yahweh. The full meaning of this statement can be made clear. AT: "Those who honor Yahweh will live a long time; anyone who honors Yahweh will be satisfied" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

anyone who has it

Here the word "it" refers to "honor for Yahweh."

satisfied and not afflicted by harm

This can be stated in active form. AT: "satisfied; nothing will harm him" or "satisfied; he will be safe" (See: Active or Passive)

sluggard

See how you translated this word in Proverbs 10:26.

buries his hand in the dish

"dips his hand in the dish" or "puts his hand in his plate." In the Biblical culture people usually ate with their hands as people do in many cultures today.

he will not even bring it back up to his mouth

He does not bring his hand back to his mouth because he is too lazy. AT: "but he is too lazy to bring his hand up to his mouth to feed himself" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

honor

Yahweh

life

afflicted

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

and he will rest satisfied He who fears the Lord will rest, satisfied that he will not be visited by any evil.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.