Proverbs 10:22

The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) And he addeth no sorrow with it—whereas riches without God’s blessing bring only trouble with them. Or the passage may mean, “And labour adds nothing thereto.” (Comp. Psalm 127:2. where God is said to give to His beloved while they sleep all that others toil early and late for in vain.)

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 10:22. The blessing of the Lord maketh rich — Riches are not gotten merely by wisdom or diligence, but also, and especially, by God’s favour and blessing; and addeth no sorrow with it — Namely, with that blessing which gives riches, but adds content and comfort with them, which is a singular gift and blessing of God: whereas the riches which wicked men gain are attended with the divine curse, with many discontents, tormenting cares, and fears, with horrors of conscience, and with the just dread of being called to an account by God, and punished for the misemployment and abuse of them.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

10:22. That wealth which is truly desirable, has no vexation of spirit in the enjoyment; no grief for the loss; no guilt by the abuse of it. What comes from the love of God, has the grace of God for its companion. 23. Only foolish and wicked men divert themselves with doing harm to others, or tempting to sin. 24. The largest desire of eternal blessings the righteous can form, will be granted. 25. The course of prosperous sinners is like a whirlwind, which soon spends itself, and is gone. 26. As vinegar sets the teeth on edge, and as the smoke causes the eyes to smart, so the sluggard vexes his employer. 27,28. What man is he that loves life? Let him fear God, and that will secure to him life enough in this world, and eternal life in the other.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Feed - The Hebrew word, like ποιμαίνειν poimainein, includes the idea of guiding as well as nourishing; doing a shepherd's work in both.

For want of wisdom - Some prefer, through him who wanteth understanding, referring to a person. The wise guides others to safety; the fool, empty-headed, and empty-hearted, involves others like himself in destruction.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

22. it maketh, &c.—"it" is emphatic. Riches from God are without the sorrow of ill-gotten wealth (compare Ec 2:21-23; 1Ti 6:9, 10, 17).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Riches are not got by wisdom or diligence, but only by God’s favour and blessing.

He addeth no sorrow with it, i.e. with that blessing which gives riches, but gives them content and comfort in their riches, which is a singular gift and blessing of God, of which see Ecclesiastes 2:24,26 3:13 5:18,19; whereas the riches which wicked men get are attended with God’s curse, with many discontents, with tormenting cares and fears, with horrors of conscience, and with the just dread of a sad account to God for them.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich,.... In the diligent use of means; see Proverbs 10:4; riches are from the Lord, and should be acknowledged as such, and not attributed to the industry, diligence, sagacity, and merit of men; but should be looked upon as had through the blessing of the Lord upon the labours of men; and when they come this way they come as a blessing, and with one: it may be understood of being made rich in a spiritual sense; it is the blessing, good will, and favour of God, that makes men rich in Christ; that bestows upon them his unsearchable riches; that enriches them with all spiritual blessings in him; that makes them rich in faith and in good works, and with the riches of grace and of glory;

and he addeth no sorrow with it; no sorrow goes along with the blessing, but what is a blessing itself, as one observes; riches enjoyed through the blessing of God are not attended with that sorrow in getting, keeping, and losing them, as the riches of wicked men unlawfully gotten are; see 1 Timothy 6:9; for as the good man comes by them easily, without any anxious care and sinful solicitude, he seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things are added to him, over and above, without much thought about them, or expectation of them, Matthew 6:33; so it is with great delight, pleasure, and cheerfulness, he enjoys them, and readily communicates them to others; while the wicked man is full of anxiety, distress, and sorrow; see Ecclesiastes 5:12. This is eminently true of spiritual riches; there is no sorrow attending them; the fruit and effect of them are peace, joy, and comfort.

Geneva Study Bible

The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth {k} no sorrow with it.

(k) Meaning that all worldly things bring care and sorrow, where as they who feel the blessings of God have none.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

22. addeth no sorrow] It is without alloy, free from the drawbacks and anxieties which attach to earthly riches. Or, with Maur. and R.V. marg., toil, or anxiety, addeth nothing thereto. Comp. Matthew 6:25-34; Psalm 127:2.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 22. - The blessing of the Lord. The Septuagint adds, "upon the head of the righteous," as in Ver. 6. Not chance and luck, not even industry and labour, but God giveth the increase (Ecclesiastes 5:18, 19). He addeth no sorrow with it; i.e. with the Blessing. In acquiring and in using wealth thus blessed, the good man is contented and happy, while unsanctified fiches bring only trouble and vexation. But this seems rather feeble, and it is better to render, "And a man's own labor addeth nothing thereto." A man's own work must not be regarded as an equal cause of prosperity with the favour of God. This sentiment is in accordance with Psalm 127:1, 2, "Except the Lord build the house, their labour is but lost that build it so he giveth unto his beloved in sleep" - what others vainly labour for God giveth to the righteous without toil. The rendering of the clause, "Trouble is of no avail without it," is scarcely warranted by the wording of the text. Proverbs 10:22

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Three proverbs which say that good comes from above, and is as a second nature to the man of understanding:

22 Jahve's blessing - it maketh rich;

     And labour addeth nothing thereto

Like 24a, היא limits the predicate to this and no other subject: "all depends on God's blessing." Here is the first half of the ora et labora. The proverb is a compendium of Psalm 127:1-2. 22b is to be understood, according to Psalm 127:2 of this Solomonic psalm, not that God adds to His blessing no sorrow, much rather with the possession grants at the same time a joyful, peaceful mind (lxx, Targ., Syriac, Jerome, Aben-Ezra, Michaelis, and others), which would require the word עליה; but that trouble, labour, i.e., strenuous self-endeavours, add not (anything) to it, i.e., that it does not associate itself with the blessing (which, as the Jewish interpreters rightly remark, is, according to its nature, תוספת, as the curse is חסרון) as the causa efficiens, or if we supply quidquam, as the complement to עמּהּ along with it: nothing is added thereto, which goes along with that which the blessing of God grants, and completes it. Thus correctly Rashi, Luther, Ziegler, Ewald, Hitzig, Zckler. the now current accentuation, לאו יוסף עצב עמּהּ, is incorrect. Older editions, as Venice 1525, 1615, Basel 1618, have ולא־יוסף עצב עמה, the transformation of ולא־יוסף עצב. Besides, עצב has double Segol (vid., Kimchi's Lex.), and יוסף is written, according to the Masora, in the first syllable plene, in the last defective.