Proverbs 15

Proverbs 15 is a collection of short sayings that contrast the wise and the foolish, especially in how they speak, how they take correction, and how they live before God. It shows that God sees every heart, that gentle words heal, and that a humble, cheerful life lived in His fear is worth more than wealth.

Proverbs 15:1

A soft reply can put out anger, as water puts out a fire. A harsh word adds fuel to it. The way we answer often decides whether a quarrel ends or grows. Gentleness is a strength, not a weakness.

BSA: gentle (“soft, tender”): The answer is tender, not weak, and it calms the other person’s heat. stirs up (“to ascend, rise”): A harsh word makes anger climb higher and higher.

See also: Proverbs 25:15; James 3:5.

Proverbs 15:2

The wise person makes knowledge attractive and pleasant to hear. The fool simply lets foolishness gush out. What fills the heart comes out of the mouth, for good or ill.

BSA: commends (“presents, or makes attractive”): The wise do not just state truth; they present it so that others want to receive it. spouts (“pours out, or bubbles forth”): Folly comes out like water from a spring, without thought or control.

Proverbs 15:3

God is not far off or limited to one place. He watches over everything, the evil and the good alike. This is a warning to the wicked and a comfort to those who are overlooked and wronged.

BSA: eyes (“watchful and all-seeing”): God’s gaze is a careful watching that misses nothing.

See also: Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 16:17.

Proverbs 15:4

Kind, healing words give life and refreshment, like fruit from a tree. Twisted, deceitful speech breaks a person on the inside. Our words can feed people or wound them deeply.

BSA: soothing (“gentle, wholesome, healing”): The speech heals and makes whole, not just soothes. crushes (“breaks, shatters”): A crooked tongue does real damage, breaking a person’s inner spirit.

See also: Proverbs 12:18; Genesis 2:9.

Proverbs 15:5

Only a fool turns away a father’s instruction. The one who takes correction to heart shows sense and grows. Being willing to be corrected is a mark of wisdom at any age.

BSA: rejects (“despises, scornfully rejects”): The fool does more than ignore instruction; he looks down on it.

Proverbs 15:6

A righteous household has lasting riches, whether material or in character and blessing. The wicked may earn plenty, but their gains bring worry and ruin. What we have is shaped by how we got it.

BSA: trouble (“to trouble, causing problems”): The wicked person’s earnings carry trouble along with them.

See also: Proverbs 10:2.

Proverbs 15:7

The wise scatter knowledge like a farmer sowing seed. The foolish have no solid store of understanding to share. What we say reflects what is stored in the heart.

BSA: spread (“disperse, scatter”): Wise lips sow truth widely so that others benefit.

Proverbs 15:8

God cares about the heart behind religious acts. Sacrifices offered by someone living in wickedness disgust Him, while the simple prayer of an honest person pleases Him. He wants sincere people, not just ceremony.

BSA: detestable (“an abomination, disgusting”): The words show how strongly God rejects worship that covers a wicked life. delight (“acceptance, pleasure”): The prayer of the upright is received with joy, not merely tolerated.

See also: Isaiah 1:11-17; Psalm 51:16-17.

Proverbs 15:9

God hates the whole direction of a wicked life, but He loves those who keep chasing after what is right. He notices effort and desire, not only success.

BSA: pursue (“chase after, follow”): The righteous run after goodness eagerly, as a hunter after prey.

Proverbs 15:10

Anyone who wanders from the right path will meet painful correction. One who hates all correction and refuses to turn back is heading for death. Discipline is God’s warning sign on a dangerous road.

BSA: harsh (“grievous, bitter”): The correction is truly painful for the one who has strayed.

See also: Hebrews 12:11.

Proverbs 15:11

Death and the place of the dead are hidden from us, yet they lie wide open to God. If He sees there, He surely sees the human heart. We cannot hide our inner life from Him.

BSA: Abaddon (“destruction, ruin”): The name means a place of ruin, yet even this is fully visible to God. open (“are fully exposed”): Nothing is covered or hidden from His sight.

Hebrew: אֲבַדּוֹן (ʾăbaddôn, H11) — “destruction, a place of ruin.” The Hebrew name comes from a word meaning to perish. It is used here alongside Sheol for the realm of the dead.

See also: Job 26:6; Psalm 139:7-8.

Proverbs 15:12

The mocker does not like being corrected, so he avoids wise people altogether. His pride keeps him from the very help he needs. He stays stuck because he will not listen.

BSA: mocker (“scoffer, scorner”): This person looks down on instruction and treats wisdom as a joke.

Proverbs 15:13

Our inner state shows on our face. A glad heart brightens us, and heartache wears the spirit down. This verse shows how closely body and spirit are linked.

BSA: cheerful (“shining”): Joy makes the face literally shine. crushes (“breaks, stricken”): Deep sorrow can break a person’s inner strength.

See also: Proverbs 17:22.

Proverbs 15:14

A person with understanding keeps looking for more truth. A fool is satisfied with feeding on nonsense. What we hunger for shows what we are.

BSA: seeks (“searches for, inquires about”): The discerning keep digging for understanding instead of settling. feeds (“nourishes, satisfies”): The fool actually enjoys his foolishness as food.

Proverbs 15:15

For those who suffer, every day can feel heavy. Yet a heart at peace and glad in God enjoys life like a constant banquet, even in hard times. Inner joy makes ordinary days rich.

BSA: feast (“banquet, celebration”): A cheerful heart makes even plain days feel like a celebration.

Proverbs 15:16

Having little but living in reverence for the LORD beats having great wealth full of anxiety. Fearing God brings a peace that money cannot buy.

BSA: fear (“reverence, awe”): This is awe and respect for God, not terror. turmoil (“trouble, tumult, confusion”): Wealth without God often comes with restlessness and strife.

See also: 1 Timothy 6:6-8; Psalm 37:16.

Proverbs 15:17

A simple meal shared in love is better than a feast eaten in bitterness. A fattened ox was a rare luxury. The point is that peace and love in a home matter more than rich food.

BSA: love (“affection, tender care”): Tender care makes a humble meal a feast.

Proverbs 15:18

A quick-tempered person starts fights wherever he goes. A patient person quiets them. Slowness to anger is a mark of self-control and of God’s own character.

BSA: slow (“patient, long-suffering”): The idea is a long fuse, a spirit that holds anger back for a long time.

See also: Proverbs 29:11; James 1:19-20.

Proverbs 15:19

The lazy person finds his path blocked, as if by thorns, mostly because of his own neglect. The upright person finds the way cleared and open. Diligence and honesty make life’s road smoother.

BSA: highway (“open, level road, made plain”): The upright walk on a road that has been built up and cleared.

Proverbs 15:20

A wise child brings real joy to a father. A foolish one shows contempt for his mother and grieves the whole home. Our choices affect the parents who raised us.

BSA: despises (“holds in contempt, or rejects”): The foolish man treats his mother’s care as worthless.

See also: Proverbs 10:1.

Proverbs 15:21

A person without sense finds foolishness fun. The one with understanding keeps to a steady, straight path. What we enjoy shows what direction we are heading.

BSA: straight (“smooth, upright”): The wise person walks a level path, not a crooked one.

Proverbs 15:22

Plans made alone often collapse. Plans shaped by many wise advisers stand firm. Humility to ask for advice protects us from our own blind spots.

BSA: counsel (“advice, guidance, secret or intimate conversation”): Real counsel comes from close, honest conversation, not casual opinion. succeed (“are established, stand firm”): Plans made with good advice become stable and last.

See also: Proverbs 11:14.

Proverbs 15:23

Few things bring more joy than the right word at the right moment. A fitting answer delights both the speaker and the hearer. Good speech is a gift to others.

BSA: timely (“in due season, at the right moment”): The word is like fruit that arrives exactly in its season.

See also: Proverbs 25:11.

Proverbs 15:24

For the wise, life is a path that rises toward God and away from the grave below. Walking in wisdom is the way that leads toward life and away from ruin.

BSA: upward (“above, on high”): The path of life climbs toward what is higher, not down into death. Sheol (“the underworld, grave, place of no return”): This is the realm of the dead that the wise are warned to avoid.

Proverbs 15:25

God opposes the proud and pulls down their homes, however secure they look. Yet He guards the widow, who has no one to defend her. He takes the side of the weak.

BSA: boundaries (“borders, limits”): Boundary stones marked a family’s land, and the powerful might move them; God protects what is hers. tears down (“uproots, destroys”): God removes the proud house from its foundations.

See also: Psalm 68:5; Proverbs 23:10-11.

Proverbs 15:26

God hates even the evil plans of the wicked before they are carried out. But the kind, clean words of the pure please Him. He sees both our thoughts and our speech.

BSA: thoughts (“plans, devices, machinations”): These are deliberate schemes, not passing ideas. pleasant (“agreeable, delightful, full of pleasantness”): Pure words are sweet to God’s ear.

Proverbs 15:27

A person who grabs for dishonest profit brings trouble on his own family. The one who refuses bribes will live well. Dishonest wealth harms the very people it is meant to help.

BSA: bribes (“gifts, corrupt payments”): These are payments meant to twist justice. greedy (“covetous, craving unjustly”): The word describes a strong craving that takes without limit.

Proverbs 15:28

The righteous think before they speak and weigh their words. The wicked let evil pour out unchecked. Wise speech often begins with a pause.

BSA: ponders (“to mutter, meditate”): The righteous turn the answer over quietly before they give it. blurts out (“to bubble, gush forth”): The wicked person’s evil bubbles up like boiling water without restraint.

See also: James 1:19.

Proverbs 15:29

God keeps His distance from those who live in wickedness, but He listens to the prayer of the righteous. This is not about God being unable to hear, but about closeness and favor.

BSA: far (“distant, remote”): The wicked have placed themselves at a distance from God. hears (“listens with attention and obedience”): God does more than hear; He attends and acts.

See also: Psalm 34:15.

Proverbs 15:30

A bright, friendly look lifts the heart. Good news refreshes the whole person, even to the bones. Encouragement is a real gift to others.

BSA: nourishes (“makes fat, prospers”): Good news feeds the body and gives it strength.

Proverbs 15:31

Those who listen to life-giving correction will be at home among the wise. Correction that comes from wisdom leads to life. Being corrected is how we become wise.

BSA: life-giving (“of spiritual vitality, promoting salvation”): This reproof leads toward life, not harm. dwell (“abide, lodge, have his place”): The person who listens finds a settled home among the wise.

Proverbs 15:32

Ignoring discipline is a form of self-harm, since it despises one’s own good. The one who accepts correction gains understanding. A teachable heart grows.

BSA: despises (“rejects, has contempt for”): Refusing correction is a kind of contempt toward one’s own soul.

Proverbs 15:33

Reverence for God is itself the school that teaches wisdom. And humility comes before honor. Those who bow low before God are the ones He lifts up.

BSA: fear (“reverence, respect”): The fear of the LORD is a respectful awe that opens the way to learning. humility (“a modest or humble mindset”): Humility is a settled attitude of heart that honors God and others.

See also: Proverbs 1:7; James 4:10.