CRITICAL NOTES.—
Proverbs 10:14. Lay up, literally, “conceal,” i.e., “husband the knowledge and understanding which they possess for the right time and place, do not squander it in unreasonable talk or babbling” (Zöckler). Near destruction, rather, is a near destruction, i.e., “is a quickly destroying agency” (Lange’s Commentary).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Proverbs 10:13-14
LAYING UP TO GIVE OUT
I. The practice of the morally wise man. He “lays up knowledge” (Proverbs 10:14). The present position of a man in social life is often the result of a “laying up” in the past. The man who has made it the business of his past life to lay up money is now a rich man. His present wealth arises from his past storing. An artificer or professional man who laid up knowledge in his youthful days is able to command a good position in his mature life. But there are differences between those who lay up riches, or mere intellectual wisdom, and him who stores moral wisdom—the only real and lasting wealth.
1. The man spoken of in the text lays up that which is truly his own now, and will be throughout eternity. The riches of godly wisdom are not transferable either before or at the time of death. Material wealth may go at any time in our life, and must be left behind when we leave the world. And while we call it ours it is but lent us by God. He takes a wider range, and lays up for a life beyond time, and what he lays up now will make him what he will be in the ages beyond death. He is determined to be crowned rich towards God in the day when he shall be summoned to appear and give an account of his stewardship. Most men are layers up of riches and knowledge in a greater or less degree. The truly wise man banks for moral character, and intends to be considered rich in the city of God.
II. It is because spiritual knowledge is laid up that “wisdom is found in the lips” (Proverbs 10:13). The possession of wealth or of intellectual knowledge is no guarantee that wisdom will be found with it. A rich man may not know how to use his riches to the best advantage. He might know how to gather it, but may not know how to spend it for his own good. A man may gather much intellectual knowledge without being able to make it profitable, or a source of enjoyment either to himself or others. A man may be able to gather timber and stones together and yet not know how to build a house out of them after he has gathered them. A housewife may collect a store of wool and stuffs, but not be skilful enough to fashion the materials into garments for herself and her household. So knowledge, in its general sense, is not necessarily accompanied by wisdom; but spiritual knowledge and spiritual wisdom are never separated. The one is always joined to the other. Where there is a laying up of the knowledge of God, there wisdom will be found. No man can truly know God and not have wisdom enough to reduce his knowledge to practice in the building up of a godly character. Where knowledge is in the heart there will be wisdom in the lips and life.
III. This knowledge and wisdom will be used for the benefit of others. It will be found in the lips. The man who is “instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52). He has a store, from which he draws according to the need of those whom his words can benefit. His instructions are like the viands of the thrifty housewife, stored up in abundance against the time of need, and suited, both as to quantity and quality, to the wants of the needy soul (Proverbs 10:21).
IV. The influence and the fate of him who refuses to lay up knowledge. His mouth is a near destruction (see rendering in Critical Notes). The man who refuses to lay up the knowledge of some calling or profession is both a fool and a knave, because by such neglect he makes himself dependent when he might be independent, and because he eats the bread earned by industrious men. How much more foolish is he who will not lay up that by which he may acquire a character which would make him an equal with the angels of God. But his neglect injures others beside himself. He wrongs his fellow-men by withholding his influence from the side of that which is righteous, and consequently defrauds the world of that which it is the duty of every man to give it. But he does not stop here.
(1) He adds the positive evil influence of sinful words. The Bible speaks often of the evil influence of sinful speech. It likens it to the poison of venomous reptiles (see Psalms 58:4; Psalms 140:3; James 3:8). But these creatures can only destroy the body, whereas the fool’s mouth is often a destruction to both body and soul. (On this subject see homiletical remarks on chapter Proverbs 1:12).
(2) But he is a curse to his own existence as well as to that of others. That which is a destruction to them makes a rod for his own back (Proverbs 10:13). Such a man’s mouth utters falsehood and slander by which he creates enemies without. That which he speaks brings guilt upon his conscience, which becomes an instrument of chastisement within. And a guilty conscience creates imaginary enemies as well as keeps us in remembrance of real ones. An old writer says, “The guilty conscience conceives every thistle to be a tree, every tree a man, every man a devil,—afraid of every man that it sees, nay, many times of those that it sees not. Not much unlike to one that was very deep in debt and had many creditors, who, as he walked London streets in the evening, a tenter-hook caught his cloak. ‘At whose suit?’ said he, conceiving some sergeant had arrested him. Thus the ill-conscienced man counts every creature he meets with a bailiff sent from God to punish him.” Such a conscience is indeed a “rod for the fool’s back” (chap. Proverbs 26:3).
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Proverbs 10:13. Through the lips of the Christian other men get wisdom. If we will think of it, men get it in no other way. “Faith cometh by hearing” (Romans 10:17). The Church hands itself down, by the blessing of heaven, from lip to lip. But then from the same lips comes a rod. The good man, not listened to, becomes a scourge. Christ Himself becomes an instrument of death.—Miller.
Solomon and his son admirably illustrate this contrast. Such wisdom was found in his lips, the fruit of an understanding heart, that “all the world came to hear of it” (1 Kings 4:31). Rehoboam was as void, as his father was full, of understanding. His folly prepared a rod for his back (1 Kings 12:13-24). Learn then to seek for wisdom at the lips of the wise. The want of this wisdom, or rather the want of a heart to seek it, will surely bring us under the rod. In many a chastisement we shall feel its smart; for the loose education of our children (chap. Proverbs 29:15); for carnal indulgence (2 Samuel 12:9-11). And how different is this rod from our Father’s loving chastisement. That, the seal of our adoption (chap. Proverbs 3:11-12); this, the mark of disgrace. Will not the children of God cry, “Turn away the reproach that I fear, for Thy judgments are good” (Psalms 119:39).—Bridges.
The wise man carries the ornament of his wisdom in his lips; the fool shall bear the disgrace of his folly on his back.—Fausset.
He who trembleth not in hearing shall be broken to pieces in feeling.—Bradford.
The dwelling of wisdom is in the heart, but there it is hid; in the lips it is found. There it sitteth, like an ancient Israelite, at the gates of the city, marking what goes out, and weighs it before it passeth, that nothing issue forth which may disparage the honour or wrong the estate of the city. There shall folly find it, as smart and heavy in the reproof of it as a rod is to the back, and which is fit for him whose tongue is void of understanding. For it is reason that his back should bear, whose tongue will not forbear.—Jermin.
Proverbs 10:14. To “lay up” knowledge very obviously implies that value is set upon it. Men never think of seeking and accumulating what they regard as worthless; and in proportion as an object is prized will be the degree of eagerness with which it is pursued, and of jealous vigilance, with which it is “laid up” and guarded. Thus the miser. With what an eye of restlessness and eager covetousness does he look after the acquisition of his heart’s desires! with what delight does he hug himself upon his success!—with what avidity does he add the increase to his treasures, carefully secreting them from all access but his own! With a care incomparably more dignified and useful how does the man of science mark and record every fact and observation, whether of his own discovery and suggestion or of those of others! How he exults in every new acquisition to his stores! He lays all up in his mind, or, fearful of a treacherous memory, in surer modes of record and preservation. Hints that lead to nothing at the time may lead to much afterwards. Some one in another generation may carry out into practical application, or into the formation of valuable theories, the facts and conjectures that are now, in apparent isolation, “laid up” for such possible future use. The true philosopher, to use a colloquial phrase, “has all his eyes about him.” He allows nothing to escape notice, and nothing, if he can help it, to pass into oblivion. But, alas! in this respect, as in others, “the children of this world are, in their generation, wiser than the children of light.”—Wardlaw.
Who would not heedfully foresee where his arrow shall hit, before he shoots it out of his bow; lest it should destroy any person or other creature through negligence? Who would not be very circumspect and wary in discharging a piece, lest he should do mischief by it? And yet, by these, a man may affright, and not hurt; and hurt, and not kill; and kill, and not die himself; but what arrow, what shot, what artillery, what murdering piece is to be compared to the mouth of a man that is not guided by a wise and watchful forethought? Great woe it worketh unto other men, but it surely bringeth death unto himself; every word that breaketh another man’s skin doth certainly break the caul of his own heart; and he that doth aim at another to give him a wound, cannot miss himself to violate his own life.—Dod.
The part of wisdom is to treasure up experience, and hold it ready for use in the time and the place of need. Everything may be turned to account. In the process of accumulating this species of wealth, the wonders of the philosopher’s stone may be more than realised. Even losses can be converted into gains. Every mistake or disappointment is a new lesson. Every fault you commit, and every glow of shame which suffuses your face because of it, may be changed into a most valuable piece of wisdom. Let nothing trickle out, and flow away useless. After one has bought wit at a heavy price, it is a double misfortune to throw it away. As a general rule, the dearer it is the more useful it will be.—Arnot.