He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.
Parallel translations
- WEB One who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in Yahweh will prosper.
- BSB A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.
- NKJV He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered.
- NASB An arrogant person stirs up strife, But one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.
- NLT Greed causes fighting; trusting the Lord leads to prosperity.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Greed breeds conflict, but trusting in the Lord leads to prosperity. It contrasts the strife of covetousness with the blessing of faith.
Overview
The greedy, grasping person stirs up strife, whereas the one who trusts Yahweh is made to flourish. The verse links contentment and faith to genuine prosperity, and greed to division. This anticipates the gospel call to seek first God's kingdom and trust the Father's provision rather than grasping anxiously for more (Matthew 6:33).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Prov 11:25The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
- 1 Tim 6:6But godliness with contentment is great gain.
- Prov 10:12Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
- Prov 13:4The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
- Prov 13:10Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
- Prov 29:22An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
- Ps 84:12O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.
- Prov 21:24Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.
- Prov 29:25The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
- Prov 22:10Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
- Prov 15:18A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.
- Isa 58:11And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
- Jer 17:7–8Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
- Prov 15:30The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 28:25 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.