The Meaning of Proverbs 10:21 Explained

Proverbs 10:21

KJV: The lips of the righteous feed many: but fools die for want of wisdom.

YLT: The lips of the righteous delight many, And fools for lack of heart die.

Darby: The lips of a righteous man feed many; but fools die for want of understanding.

ASV: The lips of the righteous feed many; But the foolish die for lack of understanding.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The lips  of the righteous  feed  many:  but fools  die  for want  of wisdom. 

What does Proverbs 10:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 10:17-32 - The Blessing Of The Lord Maketh Rich
Let us specially avoid talking too much. Silence is golden. See Proverbs 10:19. Yet the tongue of the just is as choice silver and the lips of the righteous feed many, Proverbs 10:20-21. When we speak, let us say something and let the people to whom we speak feel that their heart is lighter and that the heavenly horizons are nearer and clearer. Whatever you do, beware of uttering slander, Proverbs 10:18. You know, by your own experience, what is acceptable; see to it that your mouth brings forth wisdom and grace, Proverbs 10:31-32.
But this portion of Scripture deals, not only with the speech of the good man, but with his stability. The blessing of God is upon him, enriching him in all manner of ways; and there is no alloy in this gold, no bitterness in God's love, Proverbs 10:22. The desire of the righteous is granted, because it is begotten of the divine Spirit. He is built on the Everlasting Rock, Proverbs 10:25; Proverbs 10:30. His hope is gladness, Proverbs 10:28. As he walks in God's way, he gathers strength, Proverbs 10:29. Though he fall he is not utterly cast down; for God succors him with His saving strength, Psalms 37:24. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 10

1  Proverbs of Solomon: observations of moral virtues, and their contrary vices

What do the individual words in Proverbs 10:21 mean?

The lips of the righteous feed many but fools for lack of wisdom die
שִׂפְתֵ֣י צַ֭דִּיק יִרְע֣וּ רַבִּ֑ים וֶֽ֝אֱוִילִ֗ים בַּחֲסַר־ לֵ֥ב יָמֽוּתוּ

שִׂפְתֵ֣י  The  lips 
Parse: Noun, fdc
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
צַ֭דִּיק  of  the  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
יִרְע֣וּ  feed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
רַבִּ֑ים  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וֶֽ֝אֱוִילִ֗ים  but  fools 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱוִיל  
Sense: be foolish, foolish.
בַּחֲסַר־  for  lack 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חָסֵר  
Sense: in need of, lacking, needy, in want of.
לֵ֥ב  of  wisdom 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
יָמֽוּתוּ  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.