Proverbs 10:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

NIV: The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, without painful toil for it.

NASB: It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it.

CSB: The Lord's blessing enriches, and he adds no painful effort to it.

NLT: The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.

KJV: The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

NKJV: The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.

The original Hebrew of this verse literally says "the blessing of the LORD, it makes rich…" Scripture is not naïve about our corrupt world; good people are not always financially successful (John 16:33; Philippians 4:11–13), and evil people often become wealthy (Psalm 37:7; 73:3). Godliness, put into practice through wisdom, gives a person a better likelihood at long-lasting triumph. The contrast expressed in this verse is not a guarantee of prosperity, but a comparison between wealth gained righteously as opposed to that obtained by deception.

In short, wealth obtained morally is more secure than riches gained through sin. Immoral dealings put a person at risk of revenge, legal trouble, or other problems (Proverbs 10:2, 9). Further, at least some of the pleasure of wealth is countered by a person's conscience.

This verse also reminds us to appreciate success clearly influenced by God's intervention. In Deuteronomy 8, the Lord reminded the people of Israel that He had freed them from Egypt and led them into the Promised Land, "a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs…a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing" (Deuteronomy 8:7–9). He urged the people not to forget Him and warned: "Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth'" (Deuteronomy 8:17).

Proverbs 10:11–32 contrasts the righteous and the wicked, focusing on their different speech patterns, their different lifestyles, their different attitudes, and their different destinies. Verses 21 through 27 are especially focused on the different results which can be expected from pursuing godliness, versus pursuing sin.

This chapter begins 375 "proverbs," which are general-case lessons or observations. These wise remarks continue the discussion of wisdom and wickedness begun in chapters 1—9. Most of the verses in chapter 10 contain a sharp contrast, with the conjunction "but" separating the lines. Often, the subject changes from verse to verse. The contrasting subjects include sons, treasure, work ethic, reputation, relationships, success, and speech.

In Proverbs 7—9 Solomon contrasts wisdom and wickedness in the symbolic persons of Lady Wisdom and Woman Folly. He calls upon his sons, or students, to choose wisdom, and he points out the benefits of choosing wisdom and the disastrous results of choosing wickedness. Chapter 10 presents vivid contrasts between wisdom and wickedness in many of life's settings. These comparisons continue into chapter 11.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.