Proverbs 10:16

Proverbs 10:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.
• New International Version (NIV)The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The wage of the righteous leads to life, the gain of the wicked to sin.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin.

Context of Proverbs 10:16

14Wise men store up and treasure knowledge [in mind and heart], But with the mouth of the foolish, ruin is at hand. 15The rich man’s wealth is his fortress; The ruin of the poor is their poverty. The wages of the righteous [the upright, those in right standing with God] is [a worthwhile, meaningful] life, The income of the wicked, punishment. 17He who learns from instruction and correction is on the [right] path of life [and for others his example is a path toward wisdom and blessing], But he who ignores and refuses correction goes off course [and for others his example is a path toward sin and ruin]. 18He who hides hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool.

Proverbs 10:16 word by word

פְּעֻלַּ֣ת צַדִּ֣יק לְחַיִּ֑ים תְּבוּאַ֖ת רָשָׁ֣ע לְחַטָּֽאת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The labourפְּעֻלָּהpe‛ûllâh · wagesH6468
• of the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• to lifeחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
• the fruitתְּבוּאָהtebû'âh · produceH8393
• of the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
• to sinחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403

Cross-references for Proverbs 10:16

• Proverbs 11:30The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity].
• Isaiah 3:10Say to the righteous that it will go well with them, For they will eat the fruit of their [righteous] actions.
• Matthew 7:17Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit.
• Matthew 12:33“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is recognized and judged by its fruit.
• Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts and plans, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slanders (verbal abuse, irreverent speech, blaspheming).
• Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• 2 Timothy 2:17and their teaching will spread like gangrene. So it is with Hymenaeus and Philetus,
• 2 Timothy 3:13But evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Commentaries on Proverbs 10:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16The labor of the righteous - The good man labors that he may be able to support life; this is his first object: and then to have something to divide with the poor; this is his next object. The fruit of the wicked to sin - This man lives to eat and drink, and his property he spends in riot and excess. God's blessings are cursed to him.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16A warning against the conclusion to seek wealth first of all, which men of lower natures might draw from Proverbs 10:15. “Quaerenda pecunia primum est; Virtus post nummos?” Horace, Ep. 1. i. 53. Such an inference is met by the experience, that while wealth gotten by honest industry is not only, like inherited riches a defense, but also a blessing, the seeming profit (rather than “fruit”) of the wicked tends to further sin 1 Timothy 6:10, and so to…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16Verse 16 Perhaps a righteous man has no more than what he works hard for, but that labour tends to life.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. The industry of the righteous is alone truly successful, while the earnings of the wicked tempt and lead to sin.Read the comment

Topics related to Proverbs 10:16

• Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• Famish
• Glad
• Harvest
• Poetry
• Refuse
• Rod
• Surely
• Uprightly
• God
• Life

Commentaries on Proverbs 10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings