From chapter 10 to chapter 25 of the Book of Proverbs there are no connected discourses, but only individual maxims of Solomon, loosely strung together, the sense of each being complete in one or two verses. Any division in this entire section is more or less arbitrary, although it may be said that the parallelism of members in chapters 10 to 15 is generally antithetic and in chapters 16 to 22 synthetic, and there are certain other characteristics and relations of thought which show the transition from one idea to another.
V. 1. The proverbs, maxims of instruction, of Solomon.
A wise son maketh a glad father, one who follows the precepts of wisdom makes his father glad or happy; but a foolish son, one who rejects the instruction of true wisdom, is the heaviness of his mother, causing her grief and distress.
V. 2. Treasures of wickedness, such as have been gained by any form of wickedness, profit nothing, they cannot bring lasting happiness nor avert a sudden and unhappy death; but righteousness, righteous living, merciful love and charity, delivereth from death, since it shows the presence of faith in the heart.
V. 3. The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish, actually to suffer want; but He casteth away the substance of the wicked, repelling their greedy desire, often leaving their craving for wealth unfulfilled.
V. 4. He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand, doing his work with an idle hand, too lazy to exert himself; but the hand of the diligent maketh rich, under the blessing of God prosperity and even wealth will be given to him who works with industry and energy.
V.5. He that gathereth In summer, in the time of harvest, is a wise son, literally, “that doeth wisely”; but he that sleepeth in harvest, thus losing the best opportunity for storing the fruits of the land, is a son that causeth shame, bringing ruin upon himself and upon his aged parents