The Meaning of Proverbs 21:5 Explained

Proverbs 21:5

KJV: The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

YLT: The purposes of the diligent are only to advantage, And of every hasty one, only to want.

Darby: The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty, only to want.

ASV: The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; But every one that is hasty hasteth only to want.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The thoughts  of the diligent  [tend] only to plenteousness;  but of every one [that is] hasty  only to want. 

What does Proverbs 21:5 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 21

1  The king's heart in the hand of the Lord

What do the individual words in Proverbs 21:5 mean?

The plans of the diligent [lead] surely to plenty but [those of] everyone [who is] hasty surely to poverty
מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת חָ֭רוּץ אַךְ־ לְמוֹתָ֑ר וְכָל־ אָ֝֗ץ אַךְ־ לְמַחְסֽוֹר

מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת  The  plans 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מַחֲשָׁבָה  
Sense: thought, device.
חָ֭רוּץ  of  the  diligent 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָרוּץ 
Sense: sharp-pointed, sharp, diligent.
אַךְ־  [lead]  surely 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
לְמוֹתָ֑ר  to  plenty 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹותָר  
Sense: pre-eminence, abundance, profit, superiority.
וְכָל־  but  [those  of]  everyone 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
אָ֝֗ץ  [who  is]  hasty 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אוּץ  
Sense: to press, be pressed, make haste, urge, be narrow.
אַךְ־  surely 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַךְ  
Sense: indeed, surely (emphatic).
לְמַחְסֽוֹר  to  poverty 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַחְסׄור  
Sense: need, poverty, thing needed.