Proverbs 10:16
in Proverbs 10The labor of the righteous leads to life, but the gain of the wicked brings punishment.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The labor of the righteous tendeth to life; The increase of the wicked, to sin.
KJV
The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.
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This verse in Proverbs 10
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe 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.
This site's exposition
The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city
on Proverbs 10:15-19
Verses framed as consequence follow: “Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life”. Verse 18 names the liar's trade, hatred hidden behind “lying lips”. The cluster reaches its center at verse 19: “When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise”.
This site's exposition
The labor of the righteous leads to life
Both men work and both earn, and the difference lies in where the wages go. Adam Clarke has the righteous man laboring to support life and then to share with the poor, while the wicked spends his gain on riot. Gain spent on sin ends in punishment.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The labour - The fruit of his labour, to the preservation of this life, and obtaining eternal life. Fruit - The fruit of all their labour tends to sin, and serves only for fuel to mens pride and luxury.
The labour of the righteous tendeth to life,....
Ingenuity will be no excuse for iniquity, but the sinner must either repent or do worse, either rue it or be ruined by it. Public, silly, self-exposing sinners: A prating fool, whose sins go before unto judgment, shall fall, as was said before,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
The industry of the righteous is alone truly successful, while the earnings of the wicked tempt and lead to sin.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
A warning against the conclusion to seek wealth first of all, which men of lower natures might draw from Pro 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 1Ti 6:10, and so to punishment. Compare Rom 6:21.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| פְּעֻלַּ֣ת | peulat | [the] reward of | H6468 → | |
| צַדִּ֣יק | tzadik | [the] righteous | H6662 → | 206 times |
| לְחַיִּ֑ים | lechaiyim | [is] <to> life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| תְּבוּאַ֖ת | tevuat | [the] yield of | H8393 → | 42 times |
| רָשָׁ֣ע | rasha' | [the] wicked | H7563 → | 263 times |
| לְחַטָּֽאת׃ | lechatat | [is] <to> sin | H2403 → | 295 times |
פְּעֻלַּ֣ת[the] reward of
peulatH6468 →
צַדִּ֣יק[the] righteous
tzadikH6662 →206 times
לְחַיִּ֑ים[is] <to> life
lechaiyimH2416 →498 times
תְּבוּאַ֖ת[the] yield of
tevuatH8393 →42 times
רָשָׁ֣ע[the] wicked
rasha'H7563 →263 times
לְחַטָּֽאת׃[is] <to> sin
lechatatH2403 →295 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
it leads to
- John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
- Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.
- James 1:15
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
- John 6:40
For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
- Ezekiel 18:20
The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of…
- John 3:36
Through
John 6:27Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of…
it leads to
- Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
- Isaiah 55:2
Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the…
- Colossians 3:2
Through
Hebrews 6:10For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
- Hebrews 13:16
Where this verse is studied
About Proverbs

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
