Proverbs 11:30

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(30) The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.—The righteous, by the performance of his duty to his neighbours, brings, as it were, life and healing (Revelation 22:2) to them, and “the wise man winneth souls,” attracts them to himself, and induces them to follow his example.

Benson Commentary

Proverbs 11:30. The fruit of the righteous — Which he produceth; namely, his piety and charity, his instructions, reproofs, exhortations, and prayers; his interest in heaven, and his influence on earth, are a tree of life — That is, like the fruit of that tree, precious and useful, contributing to the support and increase of the spiritual life in many, and nourishing them up to eternal life. And he that winneth souls — Hebrew, לקח נפשׂות, he that taketh, or catcheth souls, as a fowler doth birds, or a fisherman fishes; that makes it his design and business, and uses all his skill and diligence to gain souls to God, and to pluck them out of the snare of the devil; is wise — Showeth himself to be a truly wise and good man. Or, the clause may, with equal propriety, be rendered, and he that is wise (the same with the righteous in the former branch) winneth souls, brings them to repentance, faith, and holiness, to God and heaven. All that are truly wise, or righteous, endeavour to do this, and their endeavours, through the divine blessing, are more or less successful.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:28. The true believer is a branch of the living Vine. When those that take root in the world wither, those who are grafted into Christ shall be fruitful. 29. He that brings trouble upon himself and his family, by carelessness, or by wickedness, shall be unable to keep and enjoy what he gets, as a man is unable to hold the wind, or to satisfy himself with it. 30. The righteous are as trees of life; and their influence upon earth, like the fruits of that tree, support and nourish the spiritual life in many. 31. Even the righteous, when they offend on earth, shall meet with sharp corrections; much more will the wicked meet the due reward of their sins. Let us then seek those blessings which our Surety purchased by his sufferings and death; let us seek to copy his example, and to keep his commandments.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Winneth souls - Better, a wise man winneth souls. He that is wise draws the souls of people to himself, just as the fruit of the righteous is to all around him a tree of life, bearing new fruits of healing evermore. The phrase is elsewhere translated by "taketh the life" 1 Kings 19:4; Psalm 31:13. The wise man is the true conqueror. For the Christian meaning given to these words, see the New Testament reference in the margin.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

30. a tree of life—Blessings to others proceed from the works of the righteous (Pr 3:18).

winneth souls—(Compare Margin) to do them good as opposed to Pr 6:25; Eze 13:18 (compare Lu 5:10).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The fruit of the righteous, i.e. which he produceth; his discourses and his whole conversation.

Is a tree of life; is like the fruit of the tree of life; is a great preserver of his life, and a procurer of eternal life, not only to himself, but to others also.

He that winneth souls, Heb. that catcheth souls, as a fowler doth birds; that maketh it his design and business, and useth all his skill and diligence, to gain souls to God, and to pluck them out of the snare of the devil.

Is wise; showeth himself to be a truly wise and good man. But this clause is and may be rendered thus, and he that is wise (the same with the righteous in the former clause) winneth souls, or brings them to life. So this clause agrees very well with the former.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,.... Either the fruit which grows upon Christ, the tree of life, and which they receive from him; even all the blessings of grace, peace, pardon, righteousness, and life, Revelation 2:7; or the fruits which the righteous bring forth under the influence of divine grace; they are trees of righteousness, and are filled with the fruits of righteousness by Christ, and have their fruit unto holiness, and their end everlasting life. Aben Ezra interprets it,

"the fruit of the righteous is as the fruit of the tree of life;''

that is, lovely, beautiful, desirable, salutary, and issues in life;

and he that winneth souls is wise; antichrist trades in the souls of men, that is one part of his wares, Revelation 18:13; but his negotiations about them are to the loss, and not to the saving of them: whereas wise and faithful ministers of the word, such as are here described, use all prudent methods to gain and save the souls of men, 1 Corinthians 9:19; even their precious immortal souls, which are of more worth than a world, are the immediate production of God, made after his image, which by sin they come short of; and having sinned, are liable to eternal death; the redemption of which is precious; the charge of which Christ has taken, and therefore is called the Shepherd and Bishop of souls; and which he commits to the care of his under shepherds, who watch for them, as they that must give an account. To "win" them is to teach them, for the word (g) has the signification of teaching or doctrine; see Proverbs 4:2; the ministers of Christ are teachers, qualified and sent by him as such; and their business is to teach men their state by nature, how sinful, miserable, and helpless they are; and also Christ, and the way of life by him; that salvation is in him, and in no other; that justification is only by his righteousness, peace and pardon by his blood, and atonement by his sacrifice: they also teach various other things; as the fear of God, faith in Christ, love to him, and obedience to all his commands. To win souls is to proselyte them and convert them to the true religion; to bring them into a love and liking of it, and to embrace it: the souls that Abraham got or made in Haran are supposed to be such; and the same with those trained or instructed in his house, whom he armed for the rescue of Lot, Genesis 12:5; the former of which texts Jarchi compares with this, as explanative of it. The phrases of "turning many to righteousness", done by the "wise": and of "converting a sinner from the error of his way", whereby a "soul is saved from death", Daniel 12:3, are a proper comment on these words: which, moreover, may be rendered, "he that taketh souls" (h); as a fort or castle is taken, and which is sometimes expressed by "winning"; see 2 Chronicles 32:1. The soul of man is a hold, and a strong hold, of foul spirits; it is Satan's palace or castle, which he keeps and holds against Christ, but is won and taken by him; which is usually done by means of the word, and the ministry of it, which are made effectual to the pulling down of strong holds, 2 Corinthians 10:4. Or the allusion is to the taking or catching of birds in a snare, or fishes in a net. The souls of men are got into the snare of the devil, and they are taken out from hence by breaking this snare; by which means they escape the hands of the fowler, Satan, and come into better hands: the old serpent laid a bait for our first parents, by which he gained his point, and that was the fruit of the forbidden tree; but the bait which wise men lay to catch souls is the fruit of the tree of life, mentioned in the former clause, the blessings of grace in Christ. Again, Christ's ministers are called "fishers" of men, and are said to "catch" men, Matthew 4:19; which they do by casting and spreading the net of the Gospel; the Gospel is the net; the world is the sea into which it is cast; where natural men are in their element, as fishes in the sea: the casting of the net is the preaching of the Gospel; and by means of this souls are caught and gathered in to Christ and his churches, Matthew 13:47. Once more, the words are by some rendered, "he that allures souls" (i); which is done, not by the terrors of the law, but by the charming voice of the Gospel; by which souls are drawn to God and Christ, and brought among his people: and one that is an instrument of all this had need be "wise", and so he appears to be; he that teacheth men the knowledge of divine and spiritual things had need to be as he is, as a scribe well instructed in the kingdom of God; he who is to be the instrument of converting sinners must have a mouth and wisdom to address them in a proper manner; as he that wills a castle, or takes a fort, ought to have military skill as well as courage; and to cast a net well requires art as well as strength.

(g) "qui docet", Pagninus, Baynus, Mercerus, Gejerus. (h) "Capit", Vatablus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "capit salutari doctrina", Michaelis. (i) "Allicit", Drusius, Gejerus.

Geneva Study Bible

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that {s} winneth souls is wise.

(s) That is, brings them to the knowledge of God.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

30. the fruit of the righteous] We should rather perhaps have expected the proverb to run, “the righteous (himself) is a tree of life,” in his beneficent influence upon others (Revelation 22:2); but the object of the proverb in both its clauses is to lay stress upon the attractive power of goodness, and this consists rather in the outward conduct, in words and works, than in the inward character, in motives and principles; rather in the fruit than in the tree.

a tree of life] See Proverbs 3:18, note.

he that winneth souls is wise] Rather, and a wise man winneth (lit. taketh) souls. Wisdom, like righteousness, draws and allures to itself.

The proverb has its highest exemplification in the highest wisdom. “They that be wise” are indeed “they that turn many to righteousness,” Daniel 12:3.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 30. - The fruit of righteousness (of the righteous) is a tree of life (Proverbs 3:18; Proverbs 13:12); lignum vitae, Vulgate. That which the righteous say and do is, as it were, a fruitful tree which delights and feeds many. A good man's example and teaching promote spiritual health and lead to immortal life. Septuagint, "From the fruit of righteousness springeth a tree of life." And he that winneth souls is wise; rather, he that is wise winneth souls. The latter member is parallel to the former. He who gives men of the tree of life attracts souls to himself, to listen to his teaching and to follow his example. With this "winning of souls" we may compare Christ's promise to the apostles that they should "catch men" (Luke 5:10; comp. James 5:20). The Septuagint introduces an antithesis not found in our Hebrew text: "But the souls of transgressors are taken untimely away." Ewald and others change the present order of clauses in vers. 29 and 30, thinking thus to improve the parallelism. They would rearrange the passage in the following way: "He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind; but the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. The foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart; but he that is wise winneth souls." There is no authority whatever in the versions or older commentators for this alteration; and the existing arrangement, as we have shown, gives a very good sense. Proverbs 11:30

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

     And the wise man winneth souls.

The lxx translate, ἐκ καρποῦ δικαιοσύνης φύεται δένδρον ζωῆς; Hitzig takes thence the word צדק; but this translation discredits itself by the unnatural reversal of the relation of fruit and tree. The fruit of the righteous is here not the good which his conduct brings to him, as Isaiah 3:10; Jeremiah 32:19, but his activity itself proceeding from an internal impulse. This fruit is a tree of life. We need to supplement פּרי [fruit] as little here as ארח [a traveller] at Proverbs 10:17; for the meaning of the proverb is, that the fruit of the righteous, i.e., his external influence, itself is a tree of life, namely for others, since his words and actions exert a quickening, refreshing, happy influence upon them. By this means the wise (righteousness and wisdom come together according to the saying of the Chokma, Proverbs 1:7) becomes a winner of souls (לקח as Proverbs 6:25, but taken in bonam partem), or, as expressed in the N.T. (Matthew 4:19), a fisher of men, for he gains them not only for himself, but also for the service of wisdom and righteousness.