Proverbs 21:20
in Proverbs 21Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; But a foolish man swalloweth it up.
KJV
There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.
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This verse in Proverbs 21
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Spendeth it up - literally, swalloweth it. The wise man keeps a store in reserve. He gains uprightly, spends moderately, never exhausts himself. But the proverb may have also a higher application. The wise man stores up all “treasure to be desired” of wisdom, all “oil” of divine influence, which strengthens and refreshes, and so is ready at all times for the work to which the Master calls him. Compare Mat 25:1-13.
This site's exposition
Better to live in the desert
on Proverbs 21:19-20
Better to live in the desert than with a contentious and ill-tempered wife restates the judgment of verse 9 in a harsher key. Precious treasures and oil are "in the dwelling of the wise," but a foolish man consumes them, turning from marriage back to money.
This site's exposition
in the dwelling of the wise
Albert Barnes notes that the fool literally swallows his store, while the wise man gains honestly and spends with measure. He also reads the oil as divine influence kept ready, as with the wise virgins of Matthew 25. The foolish man consumes it all.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
No doubt the animal is pronounced unclean by the law, because it does not chew the cud; which is not a fault but its nature. But the men of whom this animal is a symbol are unclean, not by nature, but from their own fault; because, though they gladly hear the words of wisdom, they never reflect on them afterwards. For to recall, in quiet repose, some useful instruction from the stomach of memory to the mouth of reflection, is a kind of spiritual rumination. The animals above mentioned are a symbol of those people who do not do this. And the prohibition of the flesh of these animals is a warning against this fault. Another passage of Scripture speaks of the precious treasure of wisdom, and describes ruminating as clean, and not ruminating as unclean: "A precious treasure resteth in the mouth of a wise man; but a foolish man swallows it up." Symbols of this kind, either in words or in things, give useful and pleasant exercise to intelligent minds in the way of inquiry and comparison. But formerly people were required not only to hear, but to practise many such things. For at that time it was necessary that, by deeds as well as by words, those things should be foreshadowed which were in after times to be revealed. After the revelation by Christ and in Christ, the community of believers is not burdened with the practice of the observances, but is admonished to give heed to the prophecy. This is our reason for accounting no animals unclean, in accordance with the saying of the Lord and of the apostle, while we are not opposed to the Old Testament, where some animals are pronounced unclean.
So those who hear and out of carelessness forget, so to say swallow what they have heard, so that they no longer have a taste of it in their mouth but just bury what they hear under forgetfulness. But those who meditate on "the law of the Lord day and night" are chewing the cud, as it were, and enjoying the flavor of the word with a kind of palate of the heart.
The Medieval Church1 voice
A desirable treasure, and oil in the dwelling of the just, etc. The cheerfulness of good works, always lovable to God; and the fatness of love shines in the church of the saints. This verse the blessed Pope Gregory in his Homilies on the Gospel …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
There is a treasure to be desired,....
The words behind it
8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אוֹצָ֤ר׀ | ʾotzar | treasure | H214 → | 79 times |
| נֶחְמָ֣ד | nechmad | desirable | H2530 → | 25 times |
| וָ֭שֶׁמֶן | vashemen | and oil | H8081 → | 193 times |
| בִּנְוֵ֣ה | binveh | [are] in [the] habitation of | H5116 → | 35 times |
| חָכָ֑ם | chakham | a wise [person] | H2450 → | 138 times |
| וּכְסִ֖יל | ukhesil | and a fool | H3684 → | 70 times |
| אָדָ֣ם | ʾadam | a person | H120 → | 551 times |
| יְבַלְּעֶֽנּוּ׃ | yevalleenu | he swallows up it | H1104 → | 49 times |
אוֹצָ֤ר׀treasure
ʾotzarH214 →79 times
נֶחְמָ֣דdesirable
nechmadH2530 →25 times
וָ֭שֶׁמֶןand oil
vashemenH8081 →193 times
בִּנְוֵ֣ה[are] in [the] habitation of
binvehH5116 →35 times
חָכָ֑םa wise [person]
chakhamH2450 →138 times
וּכְסִ֖ילand a fool
ukhesilH3684 →70 times
אָדָ֣םa person
ʾadamH120 →551 times
יְבַלְּעֶֽנּוּ׃he swallows up it
yevalleenuH1104 →49 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
Psalms 112:3Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
it leads to
- Proverbs 15:6
The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble.
- Proverbs 3:16
Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
- Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.
- Isaiah 33:6
He will be the sure foundation for your times, a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the LORD is Zion’s treasure.
- Proverbs 15:6
Through
Ecclesiastes 5:19Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man, and He has enabled him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor. This is a gift from God.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 8:18
But remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers even to this day.
- Ecclesiastes 3:13
and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this is the gift of God.
- Ecclesiastes 6:2
God gives a man riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires; but God does not allow him to enjoy them. Instead, a stranger will enjoy them. This is futile…
- 2 Chronicles 1:12
therefore wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will also give you riches and wealth and honor unlike anything given to the kings before you or after you.”
- Deuteronomy 8:18
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, REPLY TO FAUSTUS THE MANICHAEAN 6:7; Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 149:4; Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).