Proverbs 3:10 — Word Study
WLCוְיִמָּלְא֣וּ אֲסָמֶ֣יךָ שָׂבָ֑ע וְ֝תִיר֗וֹשׁ יְקָבֶ֥יךָ יִפְרֹֽצוּ׃ פ
BSAthen your barnsʼâçâm [storehouses, grain silos] will be filledmâlêʼ▸ [to overflowing, completely satisfied] with plentysâbâʻ [abundance, rich supply] and your vatsyeqeb [wine presses, containers] will overflowpârats▸ [break through, burst forth] ◂with new winetîyrôwsh [freshly squeezed, fermented grape juice]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְיִמָּלְא֣וּ | so they may be filled | Conjunction, verb niphal third person masculine plural |
| אֲסָמֶ֣יךָ | storehouses your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| שָׂבָ֑ע | plenty | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| וְ֝תִיר֗וֹשׁ | and new wine | Conjunction, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| יְקָבֶ֥יךָ | wine vats your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| יִפְרֹֽצוּ׃ פ | they will burst open | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. |
| KJV | So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. |
| ASV | So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy vats shall overflow with new wine. |
| YLT | And filled are thy barns [with] plenty, And [with] new wine thy presses break forth. |
| WEB | so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. |
| BBE | So your store-houses will be full of grain, and your vessels overflowing with new wine. |
The translations agree on the promise of abundance in this verse.
The main clause presents the promise, with two subordinate clauses detailing the abundance in both barns and vats.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbפָּרַץ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 3:10
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Blessings of Honoring the LORDgenerated
Proverbs 3:10 promises that if one honors the LORD with their wealth and firstfruits, they will experience abundance. This verse is part of a larger passage that encourages the reader to embrace God’s guidance and discipline, assuring them that such obedience leads to blessings, as seen in Proverbs 3:9 and Proverbs 3:11.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 11:24–25 | One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. |
| 2 | Proverbs 19:17 | Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender. |
| 3 | Proverbs 22:9 | A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. |
| 4 | Leviticus 26:2–5 | You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD. |
| 5 | Deuteronomy 28:8 | The LORD will decree a blessing on your barns and on everything to which you put your hand; the LORD your God will bless you in the land He is giving you. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יִמָּלְא֣וּ, yi.mal.'Ugenerated
The verb מָלֵא (male') means 'to fill' or 'be full,' indicating a state of completeness. It is used here in the Niphal form, suggesting that the barns will be filled by an external force, which in this context is the blessing of God.
This word carries a range of meanings from literal filling to metaphorical uses such as fulfilling a promise. The parsing as a third person masculine plural indicates that it refers to the barns collectively, emphasizing the abundance that will be experienced.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is יִמָּלְא֣וּ, they will be filled, governing the subject of the barns and the vats. The sentence structure highlights the cause-and-effect relationship between honoring the LORD and receiving abundance.
The parallel structure of the clauses emphasizes the blessings of both the barns and the vats, showing that both will experience overflowing abundance as a result of obedience.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יִמָּלְא֣וּ as πίμπληται, which means 'to be filled'. This choice reflects a similar understanding of the promise of fullness.
The use of οἴνῳ for תִירוֹשׁ indicates a focus on the quality of the wine, aligning with the idea of abundance and richness.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 3:10 promises that if you honor the LORD with your wealth, your barns will be filled with plenty and your wine vats will overflow with new wine. This verse emphasizes the blessings that come from obedience to God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Honoring the LORD with your wealth means giving back to God from what He has provided for you, showing gratitude and trust in His provision.
Barns and wine vats symbolize abundance and prosperity, representing the blessings that come from living in accordance with God's ways.
This verse aligns with other Proverbs that emphasize generosity and the blessings that come from honoring God, such as in Proverbs 11:24-25.
Yes, the principle of honoring God with our resources and receiving His blessings is applicable in our lives today, as we seek to live faithfully.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I honor God with my resources?
- What does abundance look like in my life, and how can I cultivate it?
- How can I share the blessings I receive with others?
- What steps can I take to trust God more fully with my finances?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to illustrate the blessings of generosity and the importance of storing up treasures in heaven.
And your barns will be filled with abundance, etc. The Lord says in the Gospel, "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Luke XII).Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 3 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 3:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleSo shall thy barns be filled with plenty,.... With plenty of corn; so that there will be a sufficient provision of bread for the eater for the ensuing year, and of seed for the sower when the time of
Read John Gill on Proverbs 3 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentarySo shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 3 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThis is not the way to diminish thy estate, as covetous and profane persons allege, but rather to increase it. Shall burst out; shall be so filled, that they would burst out, if not carefully prevented.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 3 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 3:10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.Ver. 10. So shall thy barns be filled.] The Jews at this day, though not in their own country, nor have a Levitical priesthood, yet those who will be reputed religious among them do distribute the tenth of their increase unto the poor, being persuaded that God doth bless their increase the more; for their usual proverb is, Decima, ut dives fias. Pay thy tithes, that thou mayest be rich. Godwyn’ s Heb. Antiq. 277. Thegnaler hischilshe thegnasher.
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 3 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) Presses.—Or vats, into which the newly pressed juice flowed: the “winefat” of Mark 12:1. (Comp. the promise to follow upon payment of tithes, Malachi 3:8-12.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 3 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges10. presses shall burst out] Rather, fats shall overflow, R.V. “The wine-press of the Jews consisted of two receptacles or vats placed at different elevations, in the upper one of which the grapes were trodden, while the lower one received the expressed juice. The two vats are mentioned together only in Joe 3:13, ‘The press (gath) is full, the vats (yekebim) overflow,’ the upper vat being full of fruit, the lower one overflowing with the must. Yekeb is similarly applied in Joe 2:24, and probably in Proverbs 3:10, where the verb rendered burst out in the A.V. may bear the more general sense of abound.” Smith’s Dict. of Bible, Art. Wine-press.
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 3 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleCompare the marginal reference. This fullness of outward blessings does not exclude the thought of the “chastening” Proverbs 3:11, without which the discipline of life would be incomplete.
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 3 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible10. Barns — Storehouses or granaries. Presses — Either presses or vats, thy wine vats shall overflow with new wine. Comp. Deuteronomy 28:1-8. For winepress or vat, compare Isaiah 5:2; Judges 6:11; Matthew 21:33.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 3 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
then your barns will be filled completely, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Tyndale line
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
So shall thy barnes be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall burst with newe wine.
Strictly literal
so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
And filled are thy barns [with] plenty, And [with] new wine thy presses break forth.
And your barns are filled [with] plenty, || And your presses break forth [with] new wine.
So shall thy storehouses be filled with plenty, and with new wine shall thy presses overflow.
and your storehouses will be filled up and your vats will be bursting, full of new wine.
From the Latin
And thy barns shall be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall run over with wine.
Simplified
Then your barns will be filled with produce, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
So your store-houses will be full of grain, and your vessels overflowing with new wine.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in this verse, with five out of six words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but it conveys the same essential meaning of abundance and blessing.
וְיִמָּלְא֣וּ אֲסָמֶ֣יךָ שָׂבָ֑ע וְ֝תִיר֗וֹשׁ יְקָבֶ֥יךָ יִפְרֹֽצוּ׃ פ
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 3:10
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מָלֵא (male') means 'to fill' or 'be full,' with applications ranging from literal filling to figurative uses like accomplishing or completing something. It appears in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances such as being satisfied or confirming. Notably, it can also refer to massing against someone.
מָלֵא 249 vb. be full, fill
Qal 99
be full, usu. c. acc. material
trans. fill
Niph.
be filled
be accomplished, ended
Pi.
fill
special uses are:
fulfil, accomplish, complete, obj. week, year, day
Pu. filled
Hithp. mass themselves against me
base
H4390 מָלֵא be full, fill .. be full, usu. c. acc. material
. trans. fill
. . be filled
. be accomplished, ended
. . fill
. special uses are:
. fulfil, accomplish, complete, obj. week, year, day
. filled
. mass themselves against me
4390 male' maw-lay'
or malae (Esth. 7:5) {maw-law'}; a primitive root, to fill or
(intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally
and figuratively):--accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at
an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, X
draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-)flow,
fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume,
replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-)full, + have
wholly.
מָלֵא (ma.le) — to fill.
1) to fill, be full
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be full
1a1a) fulness, abundance (participle)
1a1b) to be full, be accomplished, be ended
1a2) to consecrate, fill the hand
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be filled, be armed, be satisfied
1b2) to be accomplished, be ended
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to fill
1c2) to satisfy
1c3) to fulfil, accomplish, complete
1c4) to confirm
1d) (Pual) to be filled
1e) (Hithpael) to mass themselves against
Aramaic equivalent: me.la (מְלָא "to fill" H4391)
Conj | V-Niphal-Imperf-3mp — Conjunction · verb niphal third person masculine pluralHC/VNu3mp
אָסָם (asam) means 'storehouse' or 'barn' and is derived from a root that suggests the idea of heaping together. The term is used only in the plural form, referring to places where goods are stored.
[אָסָם] n.m. storehouse
base
H618 [אָסָם] storehouse
618 'acam aw-sawm'
from an unused root meaning to heap together; a storehouse
(only in the plural):--barn, storehouse.
אָסָם (a.sam) — storehouse.
storehouse, barn
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2ms
שָׂבָע (saba`) refers to abundance or satiety, indicating a state of having plenty, particularly in terms of food. The word is derived from a root that emphasizes copiousness and is associated with the idea of being filled or satisfied.
שָׂבָע n.m. plenty, satiety
base
H7647 שָׂבָע plenty, satiety
7647 saba` saw-baw'
from 7646; copiousness:--abundance, plenteous(- ness, -ly).
see HEBREW for 07646
שָׂבָע (sa.va) — abundance.
1) plenty, satiety
1a) plenty (of breadstuffs)
1b) satiety
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
תִּירוֹשׁ (tiyrowsh) refers to must or fresh grape juice, indicating wine that is newly pressed. The term can imply fermented wine but primarily denotes new or sweet wine. It is derived from a root meaning expulsion, suggesting the process of pressing grapes.
תִּירוֹשׁ n.m. must, fresh or new wine
base
H8492 תִּירוֹשׁ must, fresh or new wine
8492 tiyrowsh tee-roshe'
or tiyrosh {tee-roshe'}; from 3423 in the sense of expulsion;
must or fresh grape-juice (as just squeezed out); by
implication (rarely) fermented wine:--(new, sweet) wine.
see HEBREW for 03423
תִּירוֹשׁ (ti.rosh) — new wine.
wine, fresh or new wine, must, freshly pressed wine
Conj | N-ms — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Ncmsa
Wine
The common Hebrew word for wine is yayin, from a root meaning “to boil up,” “to be in a ferment.” Others derive it from a root meaning “to tread out,” and hence the juice of the grape trodden out. The Greek word for wine is oinos_, and the Latin _vinun. But besides this common Hebrew word, there are several others which are thus rendered.
(1.) Ashishah (2 Sam. 6:19; 1 Chr. 16:3; Cant. 2:5; Hos. 3:1), which, however, rather denotes a solid cake of pressed grapes, or, as in the Revised Version, a cake of raisins.
(2.) ‘Asis, “sweet wine,” or “new wine,” the product of the same year (Cant. 8:2;
The manufacture of wine is carried back in the Bible to the age of Noah, (Genesis 9:20,21) to whom the discovery of the process is apparently, though not explicitly, attributed. The natural history and culture of the vine are described under a separate head. [VINE] The only other plant whose fruit is noticed as having been converted into wine was the pomegranate. (Solomon 8:2) In Palestine the vintage takes place in September, and is celebrated with great rejoicing. The ripe fruit was gathered in baskets, (Jeremiah 6:9) as represented in Egyptian paintings, and was carried to the wine-press. It was then placed in the upper one of the two vats or receptacles of which the winepress was formed, and was subjected to the process of "treading," which has prevailed in all ages in Oriental…
The vine being natural to the soil of Canaan and its vicinity, wine was much used as a beverage, especially at festivals, Es 1:7 5:6 Da 5:1-4 Joh 2:3. As one of the staple products of the Holy Land, it was employed for drink-offerings in the temple service, Ex 20:26 Nu 15:4-10; it was included among the "first-fruits," De 18:4, and was used in the celebration of the Passover, and subsequently of the Lord’s supper, Mt 26:27-29. Together with corn and oil it denoted all temporal supplies,
יֶ֫קֶב (yeqeb) refers to a wine-vat or wine-press, derived from a root meaning to excavate. It describes a trough used for winemaking, either for crushing grapes or collecting juice. The term appears in contexts related to viticulture.
יֶ֫קֶב n.m. wine-vat, sometimes also wine-press
base
H3342 יֶ֫קֶב wine-vat, sometimes also wine-press
3342 yeqeb yeh'-keb
from an unused root meaning to excavate; a trough (as dug
out); specifically, a wine-vat (whether the lower one, into
which the juice drains; or the upper, in which the grapes are
crushed):--fats, presses, press-fat, wine(-press).
יֶ֫קֶב (ye.qev) — wine.
wine vat, wine-press
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2ms
פָּרַץ (parats) is a Hebrew verb meaning to break through or burst out, with applications that range from literal actions like breaking open to figurative uses such as increasing or spreading. It can describe violent actions, breaches, or the act of breaking away. The entries suggest a variety of contexts, including mining and the dispersion of visions.
פָּרַץ vb. break through
Qal
break or burst out
break through, down (from without)
break into
break open, a mining shaft
break up, break in pieces
break out (violently) upon
use violence
break over [limits], increase
burst open, intrans., of wine vats
spread, i.e. become known
Niph. no vision spread abroad
Hithp. slaves who break away
base
H6555 פָּרַץ break through .. break or burst out
. break through, down (from without)
. break into
. break open, a mining shaft
. break up, break in pieces
. break out (violently) upon
. use violence
. break over [limits], increase
. burst open, intrans., of wine vats
. spread, i.e. become known
. no vision spread abroad
. slaves who break away
6555 parats paw-rats'
a primitive root; to break out (in many applications, direct
and indirect, literal and figurative):--X abroad, (make a)
breach, break (away, down, -er, forth, in, up), burst out,
come (spread) abroad, compel, disperse, grow, increase, open,
press, scatter, urge.
פָּרַץ (pa.rats) — to break through.
1) to break through or down or over, burst, breach
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to break or burst out (from womb or enclosure)
1a2) to break through or down, make a breach in
1a3) to break into
1a4) to break open
1a5) to break up, break in pieces
1a6) to break out (violently) upon
1a7) to break over (limits), increase
1a8) to use violence
1a9) to burst open 1a10) to spread, distribute
1b) (Niphal) to be broken through
1c) (Pual) to be broken down
1d) (Hithpael) to break away
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
o'-p'-n: In the Old Testament represents chiefly pathach, but also other words, as galah, "to uncover"; of the opening of the eyes in vision, etc. (thus Balaam, Nu 22:31; 24:4; compare Job 33:16; 36:10; Ps 119:18; Jer 32:11,14). In the New Testament the usual word is anoigo (of opening of mouth, eyes, heavens, doors, etc.). A peculiar word, trachelizomai (literally, to have the neck bent back, to be laid bare), is used for "laid open" before God in Heb 4:13.