Proverbs on Money

After studying every verse in Proverbs related to money, wealth, poverty, and riches, I noticed they all could be put into 3 categories. In my sermon Sunday (scroll down to the Proverbs series), I tried to represent Proverbs' teaching on money with these 3 categories and 11 total principles:

(1) Acquiring Money Wisely

1. Don't make it your ambition to acquire money (Prov. 23:4)

2. God gives money through hard work and patience (Prov. 10:4).

3. Don't acquire money unjustly or unrighteously (Prov. 15:27, 22:16).

4. Don't seek to acquire money hastily (Prov. 13:11, 21:5).

(2) Using Money Wisely

5. Honor the Lord with your money (Prov. 3:9).

6. Be generous to others with your money (Prov. 11:24, 14:31).

7. Live within your means (Prov. 12:9, 22:7).

(3) Thinking about Money Wisely

8. Money comes from God (Prov. 10:22).

9. Money can be dangerous to our relationship with God (Prov. 30:7-9).

10. Money is fleeting (Prov. 27:24, 23:4-5).

11. Do not trust in money (Prov. 11:28).

Here is a great book on Proverbs: The Proverbs-Driven Life.

Proverbs' Commentaries

I absolutely loved our short summer series on Proverbs. God has been kind to impart His wisdom to us so generously.

Here are some of my thoughts on the resources available for Proverbs:

1. The best commentary on Proverbs is the Mentor Commentary by John Kitchen.

2. The inspiration for this series came from the excellent little book, A Proverbs Driven Life by Selvaggio.

3. Waltke's 2 volume commentary in the NICOT series is extensive and fantastic. Volume 1. Volume 2.

4. Kidner's Tyndale commentary is the best short commentary on Proverbs. This is the best commentary in this series that I've used. But, I found myself wanting Kidner to say more.

5. That's it. Not many other good commentaries on Proverbs.

Wise Speech: Principles from Proverbs

In my sermon Sunday, I summarized Proverbs' teaching on our words with 3 principles:

1. Wise speech is truthful, not deceptive.

2. Wise speech is gracious, not harsh.

3. Wise speech is guarded, not hasty.

Some Helps in Reading Proverbs

A few questions to ask as you read Proverbs:

• What is this proverb urging me to avoid?


• What is this proverb calling me to pursue?


• What consequence of obedience or disobedience does this proverb alert me to?


• How can I apply this proverb to my life today?


• How does this proverb reveal the character and will of God?


• How is Jesus the fulfillment or example of this proverb?

Some Helpful Principles to Keep in Mind When Reading Proverbs:

Context: Always interpret Proverbs in light of the rest of Scripture.

Meaning: Always interpret Proverbs as the original author intended. For example, many Proverbs are not meant to be taken literally (i.e. 22:29).

Application: Always remember that the goal of Proverbs is to change our lives, not simply to fill our minds.

Jesus: Always look for how the Savior is revealed through the wisdom of Proverbs (Luke 24:27). In Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom (Col. 2:3).

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…” -Prov. 1:7

GET WISDOM: A Study of Proverbs

At Christ Baptist, we are doing a short summer series through Proverbs. You can listen to my message on 1:1-7 from yesterday here.

A Proverbs Driven Life

I really enjoyed reading A Proverbs Driven Life by Anthony Selvaggio. I had never heard of Selvaggio but when I saw the table of contents, I knew I wanted to read this book. Basically, Selvaggio organizes the book of Proverbs into a few major themes. He has chapters on the use of our tongue, Biblical work ethic, wealth, friends, marriage, and parenting. I could see this being a very helpful book for a preaching series on Proverbs.

The best thing about this book is that it is thouroughly Christ centered. Selvaggio shows how Jesus is the essence of wisdom and how His death is sufficient for our failures.


I would recommend this book and am looking forward to getting these books by Selvaggio:
-The Prophets Speak of Him: Encountering Jesus in the Minor Prophets

-The 24/7 Christian: Practical Help From the Book of James