Proverbs 11:30
New International Version
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.

New Living Translation
The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.

English Standard Version
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.

Berean Standard Bible
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

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

New King James Version
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise.

New American Standard Bible
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And one who is wise gains souls.

NASB 1995
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls.

NASB 1977
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls.

Legacy Standard Bible
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls.

Amplified Bible
The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity].

Christian Standard Bible
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but a cunning person takes lives.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes lives.

American Standard Version
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that is wise winneth souls.

Contemporary English Version
Live right, and you will eat from the life-giving tree. And if you act wisely, others will follow.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The fruit of a righteous person is a tree of life, and a winner of souls is wise.

Good News Translation
Righteousness gives life, but violence takes it away.

International Standard Version
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who wins people is wise.

Majority Standard Bible
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

NET Bible
The fruit of the righteous is like a tree producing life, and the one who wins souls is wise.

New Heart English Bible
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he who plucks that life is wise.

Webster's Bible Translation
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

World English Bible
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. He who is wise wins souls.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The fruit of the righteous [is] a tree of life, "" And whoever is taking souls [is] wise.

Young's Literal Translation
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And whoso is taking souls is wise.

Smith's Literal Translation
The fruit of the just a tree of life; and he taking souls is wise.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The fruit of the just man is a tree of life: and he that gaineth souls, is wise.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The fruit of the just one is the tree of life. And whoever receives souls is wise.

New American Bible
The fruit of justice is a tree of life, and one who takes lives is a sage.

New Revised Standard Version
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but violence takes lives away.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; but the souls of the wicked shall be driven out.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and the souls of the evil will be removed.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that is wise winneth souls.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Out of the fruit of righteousness grows a tree of life; but the souls of transgressors are cut off before their time.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Dishonest Scales
29He who brings trouble on his house will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart. 30The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. 31If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!…

Cross References
Daniel 12:3
Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.

James 5:20
consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Matthew 7:16-20
By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? / Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. / A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ...

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, / gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

John 15:1-8
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard. / He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful. / You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ...

Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.

1 Peter 3:12
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Matthew 13:43
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Luke 6:43-45
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. / For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles. / The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

Philippians 1:11
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Psalm 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, and who prospers in all he does.

Isaiah 61:3
to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. / He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.

Ezekiel 47:12
Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of all kinds will grow. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. Each month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will be used for food and their leaves for healing.”

Psalm 92:12-14
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. / Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. / In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green they will remain,


Treasury of Scripture

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

fruit

Proverbs 3:18
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Proverbs 15:4
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

and

Daniel 12:3
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Matthew 4:19
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

John 4:36
And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

winneth

Luke 5:9,10
For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: …

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Proverbs 11
1. On Deception














The fruit of the righteous
This phrase suggests the outcomes or results of a life lived in accordance with God's will. The Hebrew word for "fruit" (פְּרִי, peri) often symbolizes the natural product of one's actions or character. In the biblical context, the "righteous" are those who live in alignment with God's laws and principles. Historically, righteousness was seen as a covenantal relationship with God, where one's actions reflect divine standards. The "fruit" here implies that the righteous produce life-giving and nourishing outcomes, much like a tree that bears good fruit.

is a tree of life
The "tree of life" is a powerful biblical symbol, first appearing in Genesis as a source of eternal life in the Garden of Eden. In Hebrew, the phrase is עֵץ חַיִּים (etz chayim), representing vitality, sustenance, and divine blessing. This imagery suggests that the righteous, through their actions and influence, provide spiritual nourishment and life to those around them. The tree of life is also a symbol of wisdom and eternal life, indicating that the righteous contribute to the flourishing and well-being of their community.

and he who wins souls
The phrase "wins souls" refers to the act of guiding others towards righteousness and a relationship with God. The Hebrew verb used here, לָקַח (laqach), can mean to take, capture, or win. In a spiritual sense, it implies leading others to salvation and truth. Historically, this reflects the Jewish understanding of evangelism and discipleship, where the faithful are called to be a light to the nations, drawing others to the knowledge of God.

is wise
Wisdom, in the biblical sense, is more than just knowledge; it is the application of divine truth in one's life. The Hebrew word for "wise" is חָכָם (chakam), which encompasses understanding, prudence, and skill in living. In the context of this verse, wisdom is demonstrated by the ability to influence others positively and lead them towards God. This aligns with the broader biblical theme that true wisdom is rooted in the fear of the Lord and manifests in actions that reflect His character and purposes.

(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.

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.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The fruit
פְּֽרִי־ (pə·rî-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6529: Fruit

of the righteous
צַ֭דִּיק (ṣad·dîq)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6662: Just, righteous

is a tree
עֵ֣ץ (‘êṣ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

of life,
חַיִּ֑ים (ḥay·yîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

and he who wins
וְלֹקֵ֖חַ (wə·lō·qê·aḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

souls
נְפָשׂ֣וֹת‪‬ (nə·p̄ā·śō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

[is] wise.
חָכָֽם׃ (ḥā·ḵām)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2450: Wise


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous (Prov. Pro Pr)
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