John Gill Commentary Proverbs 13:11

"Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished; But he that gathereth by labor shall have increase." — Proverbs 13:11 (ASV)

Wealth [gotten] by vanity shall be diminished. In an unjust or unlawful way, either by robbery and theft, as Aben Ezra; or by fraud and tricking, by overreaching and circumventing others; or by vain practices, as by cards or dice, and by stage playing and the like; or by curious and illicit arts, as necromancy, judiciary astrology, and such like things; whatever is gotten in a wicked way very seldom lasts long; it lessens by little and little till it comes to nothing ^F6 ; see (Jeremiah 17:11) ; and sometimes very quickly and suddenly, all at once; thus that mass of riches which the church of Rome has got together by her vain and wicked practices, by her idolatry, pardons, and indulgences, will in one hour come to nought, (Revelation 18:17) ;

but he that gathereth by labour shall increase , or "that gathers by the hand" or "in [it]" ^F7 ; by hand labour in an honest way, or with the diligent hand, which makes rich; who labours with his hand and gets by in sufficient to support himself and his family, and to give to the necessities of others; who does not lay it up in coffers, but keeps it in his hand to distribute; such generally thrive and flourish:

some copies read it, "he that gathers, (de) , unto the hand" ^F8 , that gathers and puts it into the hands of others; that liberally communicates to the poor; he shall increase, as commonly liberal persons do; so the Targum, "he that gathers and gives to the poor shall increase in substance."

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FOOTNOTES:

• F6: "De malo quaesitis vix gaudet tertius baeres", Herat.
• F7: (dy le) "in manu", Pagninus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "super manu", Gussetius, p. 310. "super manum", Michaelis, Schultens.
• F8: "Usque ad manum", Montantus.