Proverbs 10:16

“The labour of the righteous [tendeth] to life, etc.] To natural life, and the support of it; all that he labours for is to get a livelihood for himself and family; that is all he desires, nor does he seek great things for himself: or to spiritual life; so his spiritual exercises in praying, reading, and hearing the word, and waiting upon ordinances, have a tendency to promote and maintain a spiritual life in him: or to eternal life; not that the works of a righteous man (so the Targum, Septuagint, and Arabic versions, render it in the plural number) are meritorious of eternal life; for life and righteousness are not to be had by the works of men, but by the grace of God; yet, as the…”

“The industry of the righteous is alone truly successful, while the earnings of the wicked tempt and lead to sin.”

“A warning against the conclusion to seek wealth first of all, which men of lower natures might draw from Proverbs 10:15. “Quaerenda pecunia primum est; Virtus post nummos?” Horace, Ephesians 1:0. i. 53. Such an inference is met by the experience, that while wealth gotten by honest industry is not only, like inherited riches a defense, but also a blessing, the seeming profit (rather than “fruit”) of the wicked tends to further sin 1 Timothy 6:10, and so to punishment. Compare Romans 6:21. return to 'Top of Page'”

“The labour - The fruit of his labour, to the preservation of this life, and obtaining eternal life. Fruit - The fruit of all their labour tends to sin, and serves only for fuel to mens pride and luxury. Proverbs 10:18”

“labour: Pro 11:30; Isa 3:10, Isa 3:11; Joh 6:27; Co1 15:58; Gal 6:7-9; Heb 6:10 the fruit: Mat 7:17, Mat 7:18, Mat 12:33, Mat 12:34, Mat 15:19; Rom 6:23; Ti2 2:17, Ti2 2:18, Ti2 3:13 Proverbs 10:17”

“Regarding gain: The gain of the righteous tendeth to life; The income of the godless to sin. Intentionally, that which the righteous received is called פּעלּה (as Lev 19:13), as a reward of his labour; that which the godless receives is called תּבוּאה, as income which does not need to be the reward of labour, and especially of his own immediate labour. And with לחיּים, לחטּאת runs parallel, from the supposition that sin carries the germ of death in itself. The reward of his labour serves to the righteous to establish his life, i.e., to make sure his life-position, and to elevate his life-happiness. On the contrary, the income of the godless serves only to ruin his life; for, made thereby…”