Proverbs 14

Kommentar zu diesem Kapitel

KI zu diesem Kapitel fragen

Proverbs 14 gathers sayings about the difference between wisdom and folly as it shows up in houses, hearts, words, work, and nations. It contains one of the book's most sobering lines, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death," and some of its most tender: the heart knows its own bitterness, even in laughter the heart may ache, a tranquil heart is life to the body. It insists that how a people treat the poor is how they treat their Maker, and that righteousness exalts a nation.

Kapitelkommentar öffnen

Proverbs 14 opens with a house built by a wise woman and torn down by a foolish one, and it keeps returning to what builds and what destroys. The fool's proud speech brings a rod to his back; the wise are protected by their lips. The empty manger is clean, but the harvest comes through the strength of the ox, a proverb that has consoled everyone who has ever cleaned up after productive work. Then the chapter goes somewhere Proverbs rarely goes, inside the heart. It knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy. Even in laughter it may ache. And in the middle sits the line that the book repeats later because it matters so much: there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. The chapter's closing verses are its heaviest. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life and a refuge for one's children. A patient person has great understanding. A tranquil heart is life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker. Righteousness exalts a nation. Read it slowly, one saying at a time, the way it was written to be read, and let the contrasts do their work.

Wichtige Bibelstellen

Proverbs 14:1-4 Proverbs 14:10-13 Proverbs 14:26-31 Proverbs 14:34 Proverbs 16:25

Historischer und literarischer Kontext

The chapter belongs to the Solomonic collection of two-line proverbs in chapters 10 to 22, teaching material for young Israelites learning to live well in family, trade, court, and kingdom. Its references to the manger and the ox, the witness in court, the king and his subjects, and the poor at the gate reflect an agrarian society governed by elders and a monarch. Its sayings were meant to be memorized and turned over, not read once.

Wie sich das Kapitel entfaltet

Like its neighbors, the chapter is a sequence of contrasts without a strict outline, but themes cluster. Verses 1 to 9 concern the wise and the fool in house, speech, and work, including the empty manger that comes with no oxen. Verses 10 to 15 turn inward to the heart: its private bitterness, laughter that hides ache, the way that seems right, the simple who believe everything. Verses 16 to 25 contrast prudence with rashness, the poor with the rich, and truthful with lying witnesses. Verses 26 to 35 gather the chapter's weightiest sayings on the fear of the LORD, patience, a tranquil heart, the poor and their Maker, refuge in death, and the righteousness that exalts a nation.

Warum dieses Kapitel wichtig ist

Proverbs 14:12 is one of the most quoted verses in the book, repeated word for word in 16:25, and it names the central danger wisdom exists to address: sincere self-confidence on a path that ends in death. The chapter also offers rare psychological realism for its age, acknowledging private grief no one else can share and joy that ends in sorrow. Verse 31, "Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker," grounds social justice in the doctrine of creation, and verse 34 has been quoted about nations for centuries. Verse 26 promises that the fear of the LORD gives security not only to a person but to their children.

Auslegungsfrage im Blick behalten

Verse 20 observes that the poor are hated even by their neighbors while the rich have many friends, and the next verse calls despising a neighbor a sin. Is Proverbs describing how the world works or prescribing how it should? The book does both, often in adjacent lines, and the reader has to notice the shift. Reading verse 20 as diagnosis and verse 21 as instruction is the wisdom the chapter is trying to teach.

Fragen zu diesem Kapitel

  • Verse 12 warns of a way that seems right and ends in death. What makes a wrong path feel right, and what does the chapter offer as a check?
  • Verses 10 and 13 admit that hearts carry bitterness and ache that others cannot see. How should that shape the way you treat people who seem fine?
  • Verse 31 says oppressing the poor taunts their Maker. What follows from that for how a community treats its most vulnerable?

Mit Kontext studieren

Nutze dies als Kapitel-Leitfaden und gehe dann tiefer in den Text selbst. Ziel ist es, die Beobachtung zu verlangsamen, die Struktur wahrzunehmen und bessere Fragen zu stellen, bevor man vorschnell zu Schlussfolgerungen kommt.

Zu Notizen hinzufügen
1 A wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish destroyeth it with her owne handes. 2 He that walketh in his righteousnes, feareth the Lord: but he that is lewde in his wayes, despiseth him. 3 In the mouth of the foolish is the rod of pride: but the lippes of the wise preserue them. 4 Where none oxen are, there the cribbe is emptie: but much increase cometh by the strength of the oxe. 5 A faithfull witnes will not lye: but a false record will speake lyes. 6 A scorner seeketh wisdome, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easie to him that will vnderstande. 7 Depart from the foolish man, when thou perceiuest not in him the lippes of knowledge. 8 The wisdome of ye prudent is to vnderstand his way: but the foolishnes of the fooles is deceite. 9 The foole maketh a mocke of sinne: but among the righteous there is fauour. 10 The heart knoweth the bitternes of his soule, and the stranger shall not medle with his ioy. 11 The house of the wicked shalbe destroyed: but the tabernacle of the righteous shall florish. 12 There is a way that seemeth right to a man: but the issues thereof are the wayes of death. 13 Euen in laughing the heart is sorowful, and the ende of that mirth is heauinesse. 14 The heart that declineth, shall be saciate with his owne wayes: but a good man shall depart from him. 15 The foolish will beleeue euery thing: but the prudent will consider his steppes. 16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from euill: but a foole rageth, and is carelesse. 17 He that is hastie to anger, committeth follie, and a busie body is hated. 18 The foolish do inherite follie: but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. 19 The euill shall bowe before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous. 20 The poore is hated euen of his own neighbour: but the friendes of the rich are many. 21 The sinner despiseth his neighbour: but he that hath mercie on the poore, is blessed. 22 Doe not they erre that imagine euill? but to them that thinke on good things, shalbe mercie and trueth. 23 In all labour there is abundance: but the talke of the lippes bringeth onely want. 24 The crowne of the wise is their riches, and the follie of fooles is foolishnes. 25 A faithfull witnes deliuereth soules: but a deceiuer speaketh lyes. 26 In the feare of the Lord is an assured strength, and his children shall haue hope. 27 The feare of the Lord is as a welspring of life, to auoyde the snares of death. 28 In the multitude of the people is the honour of a King, and for the want of people commeth the destruction of the Prince. 29 He that is slowe to wrath, is of great wisdome: but he that is of an hastie minde, exalteth follie. 30 A sounde heart is the life of the flesh: but enuie is the rotting of the bones. 31 He that oppresseth the poore, reprooueth him that made him: but hee honoureth him, that hath mercie on the poore. 32 The wicked shall be cast away for his malice: but the righteous hath hope in his death. 33 Wisedome resteth in the heart of him that hath vnderstanding, and is knowen in the mids of fooles. 34 Iustice exalteth a nation, but sinne is a shame to the people. 35 The pleasure of a King is in a wise seruant: but his wrath shalbe toward him that is lewde.

Mach aus Lesen echtes Bibelstudium

Registriere dich, um Verse zu speichern, Notizen zu machen und mit KI-gestützten Werkzeugen zu studieren.

Registrieren Anmelden
Nächste Schritte nach diesem Kapitel Weiterlesen, Plan wählen oder mit KI weiterarbeiten.
Nächstes Kapitel lesen Proverbs 15 in Geneva Bible 1599.

Lesepläne

Wähle einen Plan, wenn du aus diesem Kapitel eine Gewohnheit machen willst.

KI zu diesem Kapitel fragen

Mit KI weiterdenken, wenn der Text Fragen offenlässt oder tiefer drängt.
Folge den Themen, die dieses Kapitel öffnet Verwandte Themenhubs, wenn dieses Kapitel eine größere Frage geöffnet hat.
Alle Themen

Bible passages about prayer

A curated Bible hub for readers searching for prayer, dependence, boldness before God, and persevering intercession.

Bible passages about wisdom

A curated Bible hub for readers searching for wisdom, discernment, fear of the Lord, and obedient living.

Bible passages about hope

A curated Bible hub for readers searching for hope, endurance, resurrection certainty, and final restoration.

Bible passages about grief

A curated Bible hub for readers searching for grief, mourning, tears, comfort, and hope in loss.