Era 6 · The First KingsProverbs
Proverbs 13: Hope Deferred Maketh the Heart Sick
Teaching, appearances of wealth, the poor man's field and the rod
"There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches" (13:7). Appearances deceive both ways.
"Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life" (13:12).
"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed" (13:20). "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children" (13:22).
"Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment" (13:23). "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes" (13:24).
The poor man's field (13:23)
"Much food is in the tillage (nir, newly broken ground) of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment (mishpat)." The poor farmer's land could feed him, but it is swept away "without justice": by unjust courts, creditors, or powerful neighbours. This saying stands against any reading of Proverbs that blames every poor person for poverty. Isaiah 5:8 and Micah 2:1–2 condemn those who seize fields.
| Verse | The saying | Form | What to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13:1 | A wise son heareth his father's instruction | Antithetic | The scorner will not hear rebuke |
| 13:2 | A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth | Antithetic | The treacherous "eat violence" |
| 13:3 | He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life | Antithetic | Guarding speech; compare 21:23 |
| 13:4 | The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing | Antithetic | Desire without effort |
| 13:5 | A righteous man hateth lying | Antithetic | The wicked "causes a stench" (yav'ish) and shame |
| 13:6 | Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way | Antithetic | Virtue as a guard |
| 13:7 | There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing | Antithetic | Pretended wealth and pretended poverty |
| 13:8 | The ransom of a man's life are his riches | Antithetic | The rich can be held to ransom; the poor are not even threatened: wealth brings its own danger |
| 13:9 | The light of the righteous rejoiceth | Antithetic | The lamp of the wicked goes out; compare 20:20; 24:20 |
| 13:10 | Only by pride cometh contention | Antithetic | Pride produces quarrels; the well-advised have wisdom |
| 13:11 | Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished | Antithetic | Quick, empty gain versus wealth gathered "by hand," little by little |
| 13:12 | Hope deferred maketh the heart sick | Antithetic | Tree of life (as 3:18); an observation about longing, not a judgment on those still waiting |
| 13:13 | Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed | Antithetic | "The word" may be teaching or God's command |
| 13:14 | The law of the wise is a fountain of life | Single sentence | Almost identical to 14:27, where "the fear of the LORD" replaces "the law of the wise" |
| 13:15 | Good understanding giveth favour | Antithetic | "The way of transgressors is hard": the Hebrew eitan usually means "enduring"; many emend or read "is their ruin" |
| 13:16 | Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge | Antithetic | The fool spreads his folly like a merchant his wares |
| 13:17 | A wicked messenger falleth into mischief | Antithetic | Reliable envoys, as in 25:13 |
| 13:18 | Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction | Antithetic | Correction leads to honour |
| 13:19 | The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul | Antithetic | Fools cannot turn from evil even to gain what they desire |
| 13:20 | He that walketh with wise men shall be wise | Antithetic | Company forms character; wordplay ro'eh (companion) / yero'a (suffer harm) |
| 13:21 | Evil pursueth sinners | Antithetic | Consequences personified as pursuers |
| 13:22 | A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children | Antithetic | Generational wealth; the sinner's wealth goes to the just |
| 13:23 | Much food is in the tillage of the poor | Antithetic | Hunger caused by injustice |
| 13:24 | He that spareth his rod hateth his son | Antithetic | Discipline as love; see the research section |
| 13:25 | The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul | Antithetic | Enough to eat versus want |
The rod (13:24; 22:15; 23:13–14; 29:15)
Shevet means a rod or staff, also a shepherd's staff and a ruler's sceptre. In its ancient setting these sayings assume physical punishment as a normal part of raising children, as in Egyptian and Mesopotamian instruction (the Egyptian proverb "a boy's ear is on his back: he listens when he is beaten"). Their point is that real love does not abandon a child to folly: "he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes (diligently, or early)." Readers today disagree over how far the method belongs to the ancient culture and how far it is commanded. Modern child-development research strongly associates physical punishment with harm, and the law in many countries forbids it. The site presents these sayings in their setting and is explicit that they are not a mandate to injure a child; their lasting teaching is that love includes guidance and correction. See the investigation on contradictory and contextual advice.
13:23 and simplistic readings
Proverbs often links diligence with plenty (10:4) and laziness with want (13:4). 13:23 shows the collection knew another cause of poverty: injustice. Wisdom means knowing which saying fits which situation. See the investigation Wisdom Is Not a Guarantee of Wealth.
The library's Greek
Giguet's Greek of chapter 13 contains several extra lines; for example its 13:12 continues: "To the deceitful son nothing good will come; but the wise servant will prosper in all he does." These pluses (often numbered 13:13a etc.) are typical of Greek Proverbs (D check; C check).
What the evidence shows
- Proverbs 13:23 attributes the poor man's hunger to injustice. The Hebrew 'without mishpat' is read as injustice by most translators.
- Proverbs 13:24 commands physical punishment of children in every culture and age. The site reads it in its ancient setting; it is not presented as a mandate to injure a child.
- Proverbs 13:14 and 14:27 are near-duplicates.Source: The site's library: Westminster Leningrad Codex, KJV, Clementine Vulgate, Giguet's French of the Greek
- The library's Greek adds lines in chapter 13.Source: The site's library: Westminster Leningrad Codex, KJV, Clementine Vulgate, Giguet's French of the Greek
Continue the journey
Journey of a PassageProverbs 13:23: The poor man's field and injustice"Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment (mishpat)." The Hebrew blames the loss of the poor farmer's harvest on the absence of justice.More from this lesson
Why this matters to the rest of Scripture
- The rebellious son: discipline taken out of the parents' hands.
- Naboth's field taken by injustice.
- "Woe unto them that join house to house."
- Discipline as a sign of sonship.
- "Provoke not your children to wrath."