Commentary - Proverbs 21:20

Bird's-eye view

This proverb sets before us a sharp and practical contrast between two ways of life, that of the wise and that of the foolish. The distinction is not intellectual horsepower, but rather moral and spiritual orientation. Wisdom, in the Bible, begins with the fear of the Lord, and it works its way out into every corner of a man's life, including his pantry and his bank account. Foolishness is the rejection of God's created order, and it too has tangible, real-world consequences. The verse paints a picture of two households. One is characterized by provision, abundance, and foresight, desirable treasure and oil. The other is characterized by a black hole of consumption, a complete inability to retain any blessing. The core issue is self-control, a fruit of the Spirit, which enables a man to plan for the future, versus consumptive self-indulgence, which sacrifices tomorrow on the altar of today.

At its heart, this is a proverb about stewardship and dominion. God blesses His people with resources, not as an end in themselves, but as tools for building households, communities, and kingdom outposts. The wise man understands this. He receives God's blessings, husbands them, and prepares for the future. The foolish man sees blessings as an opportunity for a party, and when the party is over, he has nothing left. This principle applies to far more than just money; it is about how we steward time, talent, and every good gift from God. The fool lives from crisis to crisis, while the wise man builds a storehouse.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 21 is a collection of antithetical proverbs, frequently contrasting the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish, the diligent and the lazy. This verse fits squarely within that pattern. It follows immediately after verses that discuss the sluggard's destructive desires (v. 25-26) and the wicked man's brazenness (v. 29). The theme of wise financial stewardship and the consequences of foolishness is a "commonplace in Proverbs," as this book is intensely practical. It does not present piety as some ethereal, otherworldly state, but as something that profoundly affects how a person manages his real-world affairs. Verses like Proverbs 10:4 ("A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich") and Proverbs 13:11 ("Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it") all build this same picture. Wisdom builds, accumulates, and plans. Folly tears down, scatters, and consumes.

Key Issues

Wisdom's Storehouse and Folly's Appetite

We need to be clear about what this proverb is and is not teaching. It is not a promise that every wise Christian will be a millionaire, nor is it a condemnation of everyone who is poor. The Bible is full of warnings against trusting in riches. But this proverb, like many others, teaches that a certain way of life, the way of wisdom, tends toward blessing, stability, and provision. And the opposite way of life, the way of folly, tends toward poverty, instability, and want. The variable is not the man's starting resources, but his character.

The central issue is dominion under God. Adam was placed in the Garden to work it and keep it. This required foresight, diligence, and a view to the future. The Fall introduced a desire to consume things on our own terms, right now, without reference to God's command or God's timing. The wise man, in Christ, is one who is restored to his proper task as a steward. He understands that what he has is not his own, and he manages it with an eye to the Master's return. The foolish man is still in rebellion, believing that what he has is his to do with as he pleases, and his pleasure is almost always to consume it immediately.

Verse by Verse Commentary

20a There is desirable treasure and oil in the abode of the wise,

The first clause describes the household of the wise man. It is a place of desirable treasure and oil. "Treasure" refers to stored-up wealth, provisions, valuable goods. "Oil," in this culture, was a staple commodity. It was used for cooking, for light, for medicine, and as a cosmetic. To have a store of oil was to have a fundamental form of security and provision for the future. The point is that the wise man's dwelling is not empty. It is not a place of hand-to-mouth existence. Because he is wise, he has managed his affairs in such a way that there is a reserve. This is the result of diligence, foresight, and, crucially, self-denial. To save for the future, you must say no to yourself in the present. The wise man is able to do this. He doesn't live at the ragged edge of his means. He builds a margin. This is not about hoarding, but about faithful stewardship that provides for his family and enables him to be generous to others.

20b But a foolish man swallows it up.

The contrast could not be more stark. The word for "swallows it up" or "spendeth it up" is visceral. It pictures a gluttonous, thoughtless consumption. Whatever the foolish man gets, it goes right down his gullet. There is no thought for tomorrow, no planning for his children, no concept of building anything. He is a black hole of need and appetite. If he gets a windfall, it's gone. If he gets a paycheck, it's gone before the next one arrives. He is driven by his impulses. The ability to delay gratification is a hallmark of maturity, and the foolish man is profoundly immature. He is a slave to his desires. And so, while the wise man's house has treasure and oil, the foolish man's house is perpetually empty, not because God has not blessed him, but because he has devoured every blessing the moment it arrived. This is the man who loves pleasure, and as Proverbs 21:17 tells us, "he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich." His love for consumption ensures his own poverty.

Application

The application of this proverb is as straightforward as it gets, and it cuts right to the heart of our modern, debt-fueled, consumerist culture. Our entire economy is largely built on encouraging the foolish man's behavior. We are told from every direction to swallow it up now and worry about it later. Credit cards, payday loans, and endless advertising all scream the fool's gospel: "You deserve it now!"

The Christian must cultivate the discipline of the wise man. This means budgeting. It means saving. It means distinguishing between needs and wants. It means teaching our children that the world is not their oyster to be immediately slurped down. It means that when God provides, our first thought should not be "How can I spend this on myself?" but rather "How can I steward this for the glory of God, the good of my family, and the advance of the kingdom?"

Ultimately, the only way to escape the fool's appetite is to be given a new heart with new appetites. The foolish man swallows up earthly treasure because it is the only treasure he knows. But when Christ becomes our treasure, we are freed from the tyranny of earthly things. The wise man is able to save money because money is not his god. He can delay gratification in this life because he has an assured and eternal gratification waiting for him in the next. He is a steward of treasure and oil precisely because his ultimate treasure is in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where fools cannot swallow it up.