Proverbs 28:19

Pro 28:19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain [persons] shall have poverty enough.

Ver. 19. He that tilleth his land shall have plenty.] At fugiens molam fugit farinam: Men must earn it ere they eat it; and not think that bread and other good things will drop out of the clouds to them, as towns were said to come in to Timotheus’s toils while he slept. {a} See Pro 12:11.

Shall have poverty enough.] As the prodigal had, {Luk 15:13-17} and Pythius, who in a bravery entertained Xerxes’s whole army, but was so poor at length that he perished through want of meat.

{a} Plut. in Sulla.

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 28:19-20. He that tilleth, &c. — See note on Pro 12:11. A faithful man — Hebrew, אישׁ אמונות, a man of truths, who deals truly and justly in all his bargains and transactions with men; shall abound with blessings — Shall have many blessings from God, and be well spoken of by men; but he that maketh haste to be rich — More than God allows him; he whose eager desires cause him to pursue riches by right or wrong, and who, therefore, is unfaithful and unjust in his dealings; shall not be innocent — Shall bring such guilt upon himself as will render him execrable both to God and men, and instead of blessings, shall bring curses and misery upon him.

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

28:19 This proverb is repeated but with a different conclusion in 12:11.

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

Note, 1. Those that are diligent in their callings take the way to live comfortably: He that tills his land, and tends his shop, and minds his business, whatever it is, he shall have plenty of bread, of that which is necessary for himself and his family and with which he may be charitable to the poor; he shall eat the labour of his hands. 2. Those that are idle, and careless, and company-keepers, though they indulge themselves in living (as they think) easily and pleasantly, they take the way to live miserably. He that has land and values himself upon that, but does not till it, but follows after vain persons, drinks with them, joins with them in their frolics and vain sports, and idles away his time with him, he shall have poverty enough, shall be satiated or replenished with poverty (so the word is); he takes those courses which lead so directly to it that he seems to court it, and he shall have his fill of it.

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

(Compare Pro 10:4; Pro 20:4).

vain persons--idle, useless drones, implying that they are also wicked (Pro 12:11; Psa 26:4).

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 19. He that tilleth his land] See Pr 12:11.

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

(19) He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread.—The curse of Gen_3:17-19 being, in God’s mercy, turned into a blessing.

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

19. Comp. Pro_12:11.

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.

He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread,.... Or, "shall he filled" or "satisfied with bread" (s): shall have bread enough, and to spare; provisions of all sorts, and in great plenty; See Gill on Pro 12:11;

but he that followeth, after vain persons; empty idle persons; keeps company and spends his time with them, when he should be about the business of his calling:

shall have poverty enough; or be "filled with it" (t); he shall be exceeding poor, reduced to the utmost distress, be clothed in rags and destitute of daily food.

(s) "saturabitur pane", Pagninus, Montanus, Mercerus, Gejerus, Schultens. (t) "satiabitur", Tigurine version, Mercerus, Cocceius, Michaelis; "saturabitur", Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus, Schultens.

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

That followeth after vain persons; choosing their company, and imitating their example; who gives up himself to vanity and idleness, and so is fitly opposed to the diligent man in the former clause.

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

19. Shall have plenty — Shall have enough, and more than enough; shall be satiated. Comp. Pro_12:11.

Vain persons — Worthless fellows: “vanities.” — Conant. Substantially the same term as in Mat_5:22. It is employed as a term of contempt, with the idea of moral depravity superadded. He that chooses such for his companions shall have plenty of poverty.

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

A variation of Pro_12:11. Shall have poverty enough. The new clause marks the antithesis more clearly than that above.

See homily on Pro_27:23. C.

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

19 He who cultivateth his land is satisfied with bread,

And he that graspeth after vanities is satisfied with poverty.

A variation of Pro 12:11. The pred. here corresponds to its contrast. On רישׁ (here and at Pro 31:7), instead of the more frequent ראשׁ, cf. Pro 10:4.

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.)

This Proverb also has been given before. (Pro 12:11 .) Such memories and hearts as ours need "line upon line" in the enforcement of practical obligation. (Isa 28:13 .) If labor be a penal ordinance,†1 such a blessing is included in it, that its removal would diminish our most substantial source of happiness. Man was not born to be a stone without energy; or a machine, to be moved by mere passive force. Our true happiness is active dependence. Habits of diligence are the means of working it out fruitfully. The earth "bringeth forth of itself only thorns and thistles." But he that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread.†2 The blessing comes, not by miracle, to encourage sloth; but in use of means, to stimulate exertion.

The contrast to this plenty of bread is poverty enough. The prodigal is a warning beacon. "In his father’s house," doubtless engaged in active exercise, "there was bread enough, and to spare." When in his waywardness he left his plenty, and followed after vain persons, soon he found poverty enough — "I perish with hunger." (Luk 15:17 .) Idleness is a sin against God, against our neighbor, against ourselves. "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord" — is the rule of prosperity in this world’s concerns; much more in the momentous concerns of eternity.†3

Footnotes:

†1 Gen 3:19.

†2 Gen 3:18, with Pro 14:4 ; Pro 27:23-27 .

†3 Rom 12:11. Ecc 9:10 .

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

works his land

This means to till, sow, and care for his crops.

whoever follows

"anyone who follows"

follows worthless pursuits

"chases after worthless projects." The person who is busy doing things that do not produce anything is spoken of as chasing after useless things. (See: Idiom)

will have plenty of poverty

The person following worthless pursuits is spoken of as getting the opposite of plenty of food. The abstract noun "poverty" can be translated as an adjective. AT: "will be very poor" (See: Irony and Abstract Nouns)

the one who gets rich quickly will not go unpunished

The double negative "will not go unpunished" is used for emphasis. This can be stated in active form. AT: "God will certainly punish the one who gets rich quickly" (See: Litotes and Active or Passive)

the one who gets rich quickly

The implied information is that this person gains wealth by unfaithful or dishonest means. AT: "the one who tries to get rich quickly" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

works

worthy

faithful

bless

punish

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

will be sated with poverty Heb. ריש, poverty.

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.