Proverbs 15:27 · Bible study
Proverbs 15:27 Commentary: Greed, Gifts, and the Life That Lasts
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Discover how greed for unjust gain brings trouble on a household, while hating bribes leads to life, a wisdom proverb on integrity and its rewards.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Greed for unjust gain brings trouble on one’s family; rejecting bribes leads to a full, blessed life.
- Key words: bōtsēa' (greedy), ba'tsa (unjust gain), akar (troubling), śōnē' mattanot (hates gifts/bribes), chayah (live).
- Main debate: Whether “gifts” (mattanot) refers specifically to judicial bribes or to any form of dishonest gain.
- Teological theme: The fear of the Lord undergirds integrity, which leads to life according to God’s moral order.
- Best use: Preaching or teaching on integrity, work, family, and the consequences of greed.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but he who hates bribes will live.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.
KJV King James Version 1769
He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; But he that hateth bribes shall live.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
A dishonest gainer is troubling his house, And whoso is hating gifts liveth.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house: but he that hateth bribes shall live. By mercy and faith sins are purged away: and by the fear of the Lord every one declineth from evil.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Alborota su casa el codicioso: mas el que aborrece las dádivas vivirá.
Quem pratica a ganância perturba sua própria casa; mas quem odeia subornos viverá.
Celui qui est avide de gain trouble sa maison,
Der Geizige verstört sein eigen Haus; wer aber Geschenke haßt, der wird leben.
Die gierigheid pleegt, beroert zijn huis; maar die geschenken haat, zal leven.
Chi è avido di lucro conturba la sua casa, ma chi odia i regali vivrà.
Kto chciwie naśladuje łakomstwa, zamięszanie czyni w domu swoim; ale kto ma w nienawiści dary, będzie żył.
Корыстолюбивый расстроит дом свой, а ненавидящий подарки будет жить.
貪戀 財利的，擾害 己家；恨惡 賄賂的，必得存活。
He whose desires are fixed on profit is a cause of trouble to his family; but he who has no desire for offerings will have life.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 15:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree this proverb draws a sharp contrast between greed that destroys and integrity that sustains. Matthew Henry observes that the covetous person “troubles his own house” by making himself a slave to the world and bringing a curse on his family. Gill notes that the Hebrew phrase bōtsēa' ba'tsa describes one who “gathers the mammon of unrighteousness,” as the Targum renders it. The word for “troubles” (akar) recalls Achan’s sin in Joshua 7, where one man’s greed brought calamity on all Israel. On the other side, “he who hates bribes”, the term mattanot used here for bribes meant to pervert justice, is promised life. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and Barnes connect this to Exodus 23:8 and Proverbs 15:5, affirming that rejecting such gifts leads to blessing. Keil and Delitzsch add that the life promised encompasses both temporal prosperity and divine favor.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Greed for wrongful gain brings trouble on one's household, while rejecting such gain leads to life.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of 'gifts' | The term refers to bribes that pervert justice. | Some see this as limited to judicial contexts (Barnes, JFB), while others apply it to any form of illicit gain (Matthew Henry, Gill). |
| Nature of the trouble | Greed brings harm to the household. | Whether the trouble is primarily a curse from God (Gill) or the natural consequences of anxiety and overwork (Matthew Henry). |
| Meaning of 'will live' | The person who hates bribes will be blessed. | Whether this promise is mainly about temporal prosperity (Wesley) or includes eternal life (Gill, Keil & Delitzsch). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Gift-giving in the ancient Near East was a complex social custom. As the Cambridge Bible notes, gifts “play a very important part in the social life of the East.” They could express friendship, secure favor, or, when offered to a judge, corrupt justice. The second half of the proverb, “hates gifts,” uses the Hebrew mattanot in a context that makes clear these are bribes. This understanding is reinforced by cross-references: Exodus 23:8 and Deuteronomy 16:19 explicitly forbid taking bribes because they “blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the righteous.”
The first half employs the Hebrew verb akar, “to trouble.” This word appears most strikingly in the story of Achan (Joshua 7). Achan took forbidden spoils from Jericho, and Joshua said to him, “Why have you troubled us? Yahweh will trouble you this day” (Joshua 7:25). Achan’s greed did not affect him alone; his whole household was implicated in the punishment. The proverb generalizes that pattern: greed for unjust gain brings trouble on one’s “house”, family and dependents.
The Aramaic Targum paraphrases the first line as “he who gathers the mammon of unrighteousness,” a phrase Jesus used in Luke 16:9. Barnes suggests a point of contact between the proverb and Jesus’ teaching. The Targum’s rendering reflects an awareness that the “gain” in view is wealth obtained through injustice.
This proverb stands in a cluster of sayings in Proverbs 15 contrasting the fate of the righteous and the wicked. The surrounding verses emphasize that God sees the heart (v. 26), hears the prayer of the righteous (v. 29), and will uproot the proud (v. 25). The promise of life for the one who hates bribes is not mere existence but a full, blessed existence under God’s favor.
Textual Notes
Reception History
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The nature of unjust gain. The Hebrew root batsa' means to cut off or gain by violence. Such gain is not profit but profit severed from righteousness.
- The consequence of greed: troubled house. The verb akar appears in Achan’s story. One person’s greed brings turmoil on the entire household, external ruin or internal conflict.
- The promise of integrity: life. Hating bribes, refusing to pervert justice for personal gain, leads to life. This life is more than survival; it is flourishing under God’s blessing.
Five-point outline
- The lure of greedy gain. The bait is attractive: quick wealth, advantage over others.
- The hidden cost. Greed does not stay with the individual; it troubles his own house. Family, reputation, and spiritual well-being suffer.
- The test of integrity. “Hates gifts” is strong language. It means not merely avoiding bribes but actively detesting them as a violation of justice.
- The promise of life. True life comes not from grabbing but from letting go. The one who refuses bribes finds safety and blessing.
- The wider wisdom context. Proverbs consistently ties integrity to life and greed to ruin (compare Proverbs 11:29; 28:16). This is not karma but the design of God’s moral order.
Illustration hooks
- A contractor offered a kickback to overlook building code violations. Refusing brought peace and eventually more work.
- A high school student tempted to cheat on an exam for a scholarship. The lie troubles not only his future but his relationships with parents and teachers.
- A parent working two jobs to give children a better life ends up never being home. The extra income troubles the house through absence and exhaustion.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is it wrong to receive any gift, or only those intended to corrupt?
- How do I know if I am greedy for gain versus simply providing for my family?
- What does “will live” mean for someone who dies young but was faithful?
Leading a Discussion
This proverb presents a clear choice: pursue dishonest gain and bring trouble on your family, or reject bribes and find life. The story of Achan (Joshua 7) shows how one person’s secret greed can affect an entire community. As you discuss this passage, consider the subtle ways greed and bribery appear in everyday decisions, and the deeper meaning of “life” God offers to those who walk in integrity.
Discussion questions
- According to the Hebrew word study, what kind of “gain” is in view in the first line of this proverb?
- Why do you think the consequences of greed are described as “troubling his own house”? What does that imply about how sin spreads?
- In your own words, what does it mean to “hate bribes”? Why is hatred, not mere avoidance, the appropriate response?
- How does the cross-reference to Achan (Joshua 7) illustrate the principle of this verse?
- What are modern equivalents of bribes or gifts that tempt people in your community or workplace?
- The proverb promises that the one who hates bribes “will live.” In what ways does integrity lead to a richer life, even if it costs money or opportunities?
- How can we as a group help each other stay alert to greed and cultivate love for integrity?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 18:21 | Moreover you shall provide out of all the people able men which fear God: men of truth, hating unjust gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. |
| Exodus 23:8 | “You shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the words of the righteous. |
| Deuteronomy 7:26 | You shall not bring an abomination into your house and become a devoted thing like it. You shall utterly detest it. You shall utterly abhor it; for it is a devoted thing. |
| Deuteronomy 16:19 | You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. |
| Joshua 6:18 | But as for you, only keep yourselves from what is devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted it, you take of the devoted thing; so you would make the camp of Israel accursed and trouble it. |
| Joshua 7:11 | Israel has sinned. Yes, they have even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them. Yes, they have even taken some of the devoted things, and have also stolen, and also deceived. They have even put it among their own stuff. |
| Joshua 7:12 | Therefore the children of Israel can’t stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will not be with you any more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. |
| Joshua 7:24 | Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his cattle, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that a person who craves wealth causes harm to his family through greed and creates problems for others. He also says those who dislike gifts let prejudice distort their judgment.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes suggests that Christ's phrase "mammon of unrighteousness" in Luke 16:9 may have a direct link to this proverb, since the Aramaic Targum paraphrases the opening words as referring to wealth gained through unjust judgments. He raises the possibility that Jesus drew on a version familiar in the synagogues.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold this view point to Proverbs 15:27, while others understand it as pointing to deeper spiritual realities. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws a sharp contrast: greed for profit brings trouble directly into one's own household, while a person who refuses bribes will live. The point is that ill-gotten gain backfires on the home, but integrity in financial dealings leads to lasting security.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill focuses on the motive behind each path. Coveting gain by unlawful means brings ruin on one's household. But hating gifts means rejecting bribes offered to pervert judgment, not refusing all gifts between friends. Acting from a right principle, such a person will prosper and live.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Christians who hold this view point to Proverbs 15:27 while others emphasize Proverbs 11:17. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch clarifies that avarice, a grasping for unjust gain, actively damages the household of the person who practices it. They distinguish the gifts here as bribes that corrupt judgment, not ordinary presents, and note that the second half of the verse is varied in Proverbs 28:16.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a sharp contrast between two kinds of family legacy. The greedy man brings trouble on his own household through his anxious pursuit of wealth and dishonest gain. But the one who rejects bribes and refuses corrupt shortcuts will enjoy life, blessing, and a lasting name.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees in this verse a direct link between a person's moral choices and the fate of their entire household. The greedy man who accepts bribes brings God's curse on himself and his family, while the man who refuses such corrupt gifts preserves both himself and his household from ruin.