Proverbs 14:23 kjv

In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

Proverbs 14:23 nkjv

In all labor there is profit, But idle chatter leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 14:23 niv

All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 14:23 esv

In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

Proverbs 14:23 nlt

Work brings profit,
but mere talk leads to poverty!

Proverbs 14 verses

Proverbs 14 23 Meaning

Proverbs 14:23 establishes a fundamental principle: diligent effort and productive labor inherently yield tangible benefit and surplus. Conversely, empty speech, boastful promises, or unproductive chatter—devoid of corresponding action—will inevitably result in scarcity and deprivation. It is a timeless wisdom asserting that true prosperity is forged through concrete deeds, not mere words.

Proverbs 14 23 Context

Proverbs 14, within the larger book of Proverbs, contrasts the characteristics and outcomes of the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked. The chapter delineates paths of life and their inevitable destinations. Verse 23 specifically addresses practical life principles related to labor and productivity, fitting seamlessly into the broader theme of how one’s actions (or lack thereof) determine their earthly state. In the agrarian, pre-industrial society of ancient Israel, physical toil was paramount for survival and prosperity. This verse implicitly speaks to a culture where resourcefulness, industriousness, and tangible effort were directly linked to sustenance and well-being, contrasting with idle words or empty boasts which produced nothing of value. There are no direct polemics here, but it generally encourages responsibility and counters any belief that mere pronouncements or faith without works would magically produce sustenance.

Word Analysis

• In all toil (בְּכָל־ עֵצֶב - bᵉchol ‘etsev):

  • ’etsev (עֶצֶב): Refers to arduous labor, pain, sorrow, hard work, trouble. It evokes the Genesis 3:17-19 pronouncement of humanity eating "by painful toil" from the ground. This is not casual work but effort involving struggle, sweat, or even emotional distress.
  • Significance: Highlights that the "profit" isn't from effortless activity but from work that requires significant personal exertion or hardship.

• there is profit (מוֹתָר - môṯār):

  • môṯār: Means "abundance," "surplus," "advantage," "gain," or "what is left over." It implies more than mere sufficiency; it denotes an excess or tangible benefit that accumulates.
  • Significance: The fruit of diligent labor is not just subsistence but a real, measurable increment.

• but mere talk (וּדְבַר שְׂפָתַיִם - uḏᵊḇar śəfātāyim):

  • dəvar (דְּבַר): "word, speech."
  • səfātāyim (שְׂפָתַיִם): "lips." Literally "word of lips" or "lip service."
  • Significance: This phrase distinguishes between productive communication or instruction (which can also be beneficial) and empty words—talk that lacks substance, action, or sincere intent. It refers to chatter, boastfulness, promises not kept, or plans never enacted.

• leads only to poverty (אַךְ־ לְמַחְסוֹר - ’aḵ- ləmaḥsor):

  • ’aḵ (אַךְ): "only," "surely," "but." An emphatic particle underscoring certainty.
  • maḥsor (מַחְסוֹר): "lack," "want," "poverty," "scarcity," "deficiency."
  • Significance: The outcome of idleness, expressed as mere talk, is not just stagnation but a definitive decline into neediness. The "only" stresses the inescapable result.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "In all toil there is profit": This clause sets forth the positive consequence of proactive, often difficult, work. It affirms the intrinsic value of labor as a generator of real gain. The implied polemic is against fatalism or expecting results without effort.
  • "but mere talk leads only to poverty": This antithetical clause exposes the futility of idleness characterized by empty words. It sharply contrasts the tangible rewards of effort with the barren outcome of verbal unproductiveness. The certainty (only) of poverty as a result of mere talk underscores the severe consequence.

Proverbs 14 23 Bonus section

The principle of Proverbs 14:23 aligns with the biblical theology of work, viewing it not as a curse (though it includes toil due to the fall, Gen 3), but as a divine mandate and a means of stewardship (Gen 1:28, 2:15). God Himself is portrayed as a worker (Gen 1:1; Jn 5:17). The verse's emphasis on "profit" (môṯār) extends beyond material wealth; it can include growth in wisdom, skill, character, influence, and even spiritual maturity (Col 1:29, 1 Tim 4:10). The “poverty” resulting from mere talk is also comprehensive—it’s not just material, but intellectual, relational, and spiritual emptiness that comes from an absence of concrete, diligent effort. This proverb, therefore, serves as a cornerstone for ethical work principles within a covenant community, highlighting the direct consequence of human diligence or the lack thereof, under God's ordained order.

Proverbs 14 23 Commentary

Proverbs 14:23 encapsulates a profound practical truth regarding human enterprise and resourcefulness. It champions diligent and purposeful labor, even that which is arduous (’etsev), as the indisputable pathway to tangible profit and increase (môṯār). This profit is not merely monetary but encompasses all forms of well-being, resources, and influence derived from earnest effort. It is a universal law of sowing and reaping applied to physical and mental exertion.

In stark contrast, the verse condemns "mere talk" or "lip service" as a direct and certain route to poverty. This is not a condemnation of conversation or wise counsel, but specifically of empty chatter, boasts, promises without action, or endless planning without implementation. Such verbal output, unsupported by diligent application, creates nothing of value and thus leads to lack and want. The wisdom is that words alone are insufficient; true prosperity—in its broadest sense—demands the diligent effort of one’s hands and mind. This Proverb encourages an active, engaged posture towards life, grounding success in diligent action rather than passive expectation or verbose idleness.

Examples:

• A student who diligently studies and works through difficult assignments will profit in knowledge and grades, while one who merely talks about studying will fail.
• An entrepreneur who toils in building their business, physically and mentally investing, will see profit, whereas one who only talks about ideas without execution will see their dreams come to poverty.
• A person dedicated to personal spiritual discipline and service will find their faith enriching their life, unlike one who merely discusses spiritual matters without engagement.