Proverbs 10:2

“Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, etc.] By which are meant either a large abundance of riches in general, which for the most part are enjoyed by wicked men, and abused to wicked purposes, (<201104>Proverbs 11:4); or an affluence of them, obtained in a wicked way, by fraud, oppression, and the like; (see <330610>Micah 6:10); Or are either not used at all, or put to wicked uses: what are not used profit not the possessors of them, for they are “kept to the hurt of the owners” of them; and those which are got by ill means, or put to an ill use, “perish by evil travel”, (<210513>Ecclesiastes 5:13,14). Nor can anyone by his riches either redeem himself or his brother from destruction, or…”

“Treasures . . . nothing--that is, Ill-gotten gains give no true happiness (compare Pro 4:17; Mat 6:19). righteousness--especially beneficence (Psa 112:9). death--the greatest of all evils.”

“Righteousness - Including, perhaps, the idea of benevolence. Compare the use of δικαιοσύνη dikaiosunē, in Matthew 6:1 (the older reading), and 2 Corinthians 9:9-10. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Of wickedness - Such as are got by any sort of wicked practices. Death - Often from temporal, and always from eternal death. Proverbs 10:5”

“10:2 Tainted wealth . . . right living: The book of Proverbs promotes good behavior over having money (see also 11:18; 13:11, 22).”

“Treasures: Pro 11:4; Psa 49:6-10; Isa 10:2, Isa 10:3; Zep 1:18; Luk 12:15-21, Luk 16:22, Luk 16:23; Rom 2:5; Jam 5:1-3 but: Pro 12:28; Dan 4:27; Rom 5:21; Phi 3:9 Proverbs 10:3”

“There follows now a series of proverbs which place possessions and goods under a moral-religious point of view: Treasures of wickedness bring no profit; But righteousness delivers from death. The lxx and Aquila translate ἀνόμους (ἀσεβεῖς). הועיל (to profit) with the accus. is possible, Isa 57:12, but אוצרות one does not use by itself; it requires a genitive designating it more closely. But also דּרשּׂיעא of the Targ., παρανόμων of Symmachus, fails; for the question still remains, to whom? Rightly Syr., Jerome, Theodotion, and the Quinta: ἀσεβείας, cf. Pro 4:17; Mic 4:10; Luk 16:9, μαμωνᾶς τῆς ἀδικίας. Treasures to which wickedness cleaves profit not, viz., him who has collected…”