Proverbs 14 · Verse 1

Proverbs 14:1

Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.
Proverbs 14:1, King James Version

Proverbs 14:1 in other translations

BSBEvery wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
WEBEvery wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
ASVEvery wise woman buildeth her house; But the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands.
YLTEvery wise woman hath builded her house, And the foolish with her hands breaketh it down.
DARBYThe wisdom of women buildeth their house; but folly plucketh it down with her hands.
BBEWisdom is building her house, but the foolish woman is pulling it down with her hands.
WebsterEvery wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

What does Proverbs 14:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Pr 14:1-35. 1. Every wise, &c.--literally, "The wisdoms" (compare Pr 9:1) "of women," plural, a distributive form of speech. buildeth ... house--increases wealth, which the foolish, by mismanagement, lessen.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Various moral sentiments. The antithesis between wisdom and folly, and the different effects of each. Verse 1 Every wise woman buildeth her house - By her prudent and industrious management she increases property in the family, furniture in the house, and food and raiment for her household. This is the true building of a house. The thriftless wife acts differently, and the opposite is the result. Household furniture, far from being increased, is dilapidated; and her household are ill-fed, ill-clothed, and worse educated.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
A woman who has no fear of God, who is wilful and wasteful, and indulges her ease, will as certainly ruin her family, as if she plucked her house down.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 14:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

חַכְמ֣וֹתchakh.Motwise [women] ofH2450
נָ֭שִׁיםNa.shimwomenH802
בָּנְתָ֣הba.ne.Tahshe buildsH1129
בֵיתָ֑הּvei.Tahhouse herH1004
וְ֝אִוֶּ֗לֶתve.'i.Ve.letand a foolish womanH200
בְּיָדֶ֥יהָbe.ya.Dei.hawith hands herH3027
תֶהֶרְסֶֽנּוּ\׃te.her.Se.nushe tears down itH2040

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 14:1

  • Proverbs 31:10-31

    Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. …

  • Proverbs 24:3-4

    Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

  • Proverbs 21:9

    It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

  • Proverbs 21:19

    It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

  • Ruth 4:11

    And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Beth–lehem:

  • Proverbs 9:13-15

    A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, To call passengers who go right on their ways:

  • Proverbs 19:13

    A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

  • 1 Kings 16:31

    And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.

  • 2 Kings 11:1

    And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

  • 1 Kings 21:24-25

    Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
24:3,4; 31:10-31; Ru 4:11
the foolish.
9:13-15; 19:13; 21:9,19; 1Ki 16:31; 21:24,25; 2Ki 11:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 14:1

    Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

  • Proverbs 14:2

    He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.

Read all of Proverbs 14

Proverbs 14:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		LA mujer sabia edifica su casa: mas la necia con sus manos la derriba.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		La sagesse des femmes bâtit leur maison, mais la folie la détruit de ses propres mains.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Der Weiber Weisheit baut ihr Haus, und ihre Narrheit reißt es mit eigenen Händen nieder.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sapiens mulier ædificat domum suam; insipiens exstructam quoque manibus destruet.