◄ Proverbs 15:6 ►
The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble.
Study Bible
The house of the righteous has great treasure
This phrase emphasizes the spiritual and moral wealth that comes from living a life aligned with God's principles. In biblical context, "righteous" refers to those who live in accordance with God's laws and commandments. The "house" symbolizes not just a physical dwelling but the entirety of one's life and family. The "great treasure" can be understood as both material blessings and spiritual riches, such as peace, joy, and wisdom. In the Old Testament, righteousness often led to tangible blessings, as seen in the lives of figures like Abraham and Job. This aligns with the broader biblical theme that God rewards those who are faithful to Him (Psalm 112:3).

but the income of the wicked is trouble
In contrast, this phrase highlights the futility and danger of wealth gained through unrighteous means. "Income" here refers to the gains or profits that the wicked accumulate, often through deceit or injustice. The term "trouble" suggests that such wealth brings anxiety, conflict, and ultimately divine judgment. This reflects the biblical principle that ill-gotten gains do not lead to lasting prosperity or peace (Proverbs 10:2). The historical context of ancient Israel, where community and family stability were paramount, underscores the idea that wealth obtained through wickedness disrupts societal harmony. This is echoed in the New Testament, where Jesus warns against the deceitfulness of riches (Matthew 6:19-21).

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Righteous
In the context of Proverbs, the righteous are those who live according to God's laws and principles. They are characterized by integrity, wisdom, and a fear of the Lord.

2. The Wicked
This term refers to those who live in opposition to God's ways. They are often depicted as deceitful, unjust, and self-serving.

3. The House
Symbolically, the house represents the life and legacy of a person. It encompasses their family, possessions, and overall well-being.

4. Treasure
In biblical terms, treasure often signifies not just material wealth but also spiritual riches, such as peace, joy, and wisdom.

5. Trouble
This refers to the consequences of living a life contrary to God's will, which can include turmoil, strife, and ultimately, judgment.
Teaching Points
The Value of Righteousness
Righteousness leads to true wealth, which includes peace, joy, and spiritual fulfillment. Material wealth is fleeting, but the treasures of a righteous life endure.

The Consequences of Wickedness
The pursuit of wealth through wicked means leads to trouble and turmoil. It is a reminder that ill-gotten gains come with a cost.

Building a Legacy
The "house" of the righteous is a metaphor for one's legacy. Building a life on righteousness ensures a lasting and positive impact on future generations.

Spiritual vs. Material Wealth
True treasure is found in spiritual riches. Prioritizing spiritual growth and godly living over material accumulation leads to a fulfilling life.

God's Blessing
The righteous experience God's blessing, which brings contentment and security. Trusting in God's provision is key to experiencing true prosperity.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the concept of "treasure" in Proverbs 15:6 relate to the idea of spiritual wealth in the New Testament?

2. In what ways can the pursuit of material wealth lead to "trouble" as described in this proverb?

3. How can we ensure that our "house" is built on righteousness and not on fleeting material success?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to prioritize spiritual wealth over material wealth in our daily lives?

5. How does the promise of God's blessing for the righteous encourage you in your personal walk with Christ?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 10:22
This verse highlights that the blessing of the Lord brings wealth without painful toil, contrasting the peace of the righteous with the trouble of the wicked.

Matthew 6:19-21
Jesus teaches about storing up treasures in heaven rather than on earth, emphasizing the eternal value of spiritual wealth over material possessions.

Psalm 37:16
This verse suggests that a little with righteousness is better than much gain with injustice, reinforcing the idea that true wealth is found in righteousness.
Sermons
God's Smile the Best TreasureJ. Stoughton, D.D.Proverbs 15:6
The Wealth and Blessedness of a Pious FamilyT. Wallace.Proverbs 15:6
True and False GainsE. Johnson Proverbs 15:6
Virtues and Vices of the TongueE. Johnson Proverbs 15:1, 2, 4, 7
People
Abaddon, Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Abundant, Befalls, Brings, Contains, Disturbance, Income, Increase, Profits, Revenue, Revenues, Righteous, Sinner, Store, Strength, Treasure, Trouble, Upright, Wealth, Wicked
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 15:6

     5339   home
     5591   treasure
     7150   righteous, the
     8810   riches, dangers
     8812   riches, ungodly use
     8813   riches, spiritual

Library
God, the All-Seeing One
A sermon (No. 177) delivered on Sabbath morning, February 14, 1858 At The Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens by C. H. Spurgeon. "Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?" -- Proverbs 15:11. You have often smiled at the ignorance of heathens who bow themselves before gods of wood and stone. You have quoted the words of Scripture and you have said, "Eyes have they, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear not." You have therefore argued that …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

The Hedge of Thorns and the Plain Way
A sermon (No. 1948) delivered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain."--Proverbs 15:19. You must have noticed how frequently godly people almost wear out their Bibles in certain places. The Psalms, the Gospel of John, and parts of the Epistles are favourite portions, and are thumbed in many an old believer's Bible till the fact is very noticeable. There are certain sheep-tracks …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

God, the All-Seeing One
We have in our text, first of all, a great fact declared,--"Hell and destruction are before the Lord ;" we have, secondly, a great fact inferred,--"How much more then the hearts of the children of men?" I. We will begin with THE GREAT FACT WHICH IS DECLARED--a fact which furnishes us with premises from which we deduce the practical conclusion of the second sentence--"How much more then the hearts of the children of men?" The best interpretation that you can give of those two words, "hell" and "destruction," …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

How the Humble and the Haughty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 18.) Differently to be admonished are the humble and the haughty. To the former it is to be insinuated how true is that excellence which they hold in hoping for it; to the latter it is to be intimated how that temporal glory is as nothing which even when embracing it they hold not. Let the humble hear how eternal are the things that they long for, how transitory the things which they despise; let the haughty hear how transitory are the things they court, how eternal the things they …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

And He had Also this Favour Granted Him. ...
66. And he had also this favour granted him. For as he was sitting alone on the mountain, if ever he was in perplexity in his meditations, this was revealed to him by Providence in prayer. And the happy man, as it is written, was taught of God [1112] . After this, when he once had a discussion with certain men who had come to him concerning the state of the soul and of what nature its place will be after this life, the following night one from above called him, saying, Antony, rise, go out and look.' …
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Epistle cxxii. To Rechared, King of the visigoths .
To Rechared, King of the Visigoths [82] . Gregory to Rechared, &c. I cannot express in words, most excellent son, how much I am delighted with thy work and thy life. For on hearing of the power of a new miracle in our days, to wit that the whole nation of the Goths has through thy Excellency been brought over from the error of Arian heresy to the firmness of a right faith, one is disposed to exclaim with the prophet, This is the change wrought by the right hand of the Most High (Ps. lxxvi. 11 [83] …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Contention Over the Man Born Blind.
(Jerusalem.) ^D John IX. 1-41. [Some look upon the events in this and the next section as occurring at the Feast of Tabernacles in October, others think they occurred at the Feast of Dedication in December, deriving their point of time from John x. 22.] ^d 1 And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. [The man probably sought to waken compassion by repeatedly stating this fact to passers-by.] 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

"And the Life. " How Christ is the Life.
This, as the former, being spoken indefinitely, may be universally taken, as relating both to such as are yet in the state of nature, and to such as are in the state of grace, and so may be considered in reference to both, and ground three points of truth, both in reference to the one, and in reference to the other; to wit, 1. That our case is such as we stand in need of his help, as being the Life. 2. That no other way but by him, can we get that supply of life, which we stand in need of, for he …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

"Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c. We come now, as was proposed, to observe, Thirdly,(474) That faith unfeigned is the only thing which gives the answer of a good conscience towards God. Conscience, in general, is nothing else but a practical knowledge of the rule a man should walk by, and of himself in reference to that rule. It is the laying down a man's state, and condition, and actions beside the rule of God's word, or the principles of nature's light. It is the chief piece …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"Thou Shall Keep Him in Perfect Peace, Whose Mind is Stayed on Thee, Because He Trusteth in Thee. "
Isaiah xxvi. 3.--"Thou shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." All men love to have privileges above others. Every one is upon the design and search after some well-being, since Adam lost that which was true happiness. We all agree upon the general notion of it, but presently men divide in the following of particulars. Here all men are united in seeking after some good; something to satisfy their souls, and satiate their desires. Nay, but they …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Authority and Utility of the Scriptures
2 Tim. iii. 16.--"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." We told you that there was nothing more necessary to know than what our end is, and what the way is that leads to that end. We see the most part of men walking at random,--running an uncertain race,--because they do not propose unto themselves a certain scope to aim at, and whither to direct their whole course. According to men's particular …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of the Eleventh
An unfinished commentary on the Bible, found among the author's papers after his death, in his own handwriting; and published in 1691, by Charles Doe, in a folio volume of the works of John Bunyan. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR Being in company with an enlightened society of Protestant dissenters of the Baptist denomination, I observed to a doctor of divinity, who was advancing towards his seventieth year, that my time had been delightfully engaged with John Bunyan's commentary on Genesis. "What," …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also-
OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING PRAYER; WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY DISCOVERED, 1. WHAT PRAYER IS. 2. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT. 3. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO. WRITTEN IN PRISON, 1662. PUBLISHED, 1663. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:--the Spirit--helpeth our infirmities" (Rom 8:26). ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven. "It is …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

How Christ is the Way in General, "I am the Way. "
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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