Bible Strands
Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — An unattributed wisdom saying in a collection of Proverbs, bracketed by a warning against domestic trouble (11:29) and a statement on divine justice (11:31).
The words — לֹקֵחַ (lokeach), "one who takes," from the root לָקַח (laqach, "to seize, acquire"), renders the English "wins" as a deliberate, active act rather than a passive outcome.
The thread — The same logic of leading others to righteousness recurs in Daniel 12:3 ("those who lead many to righteousness"), James 5:20 ("whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way"), and 1 Corinthians 9:19 ("to win as many as possible").
Why it lands — It defines wisdom not as knowledge but as the deliberate, costly work of drawing others toward life.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.
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.
- 1 Corinthians 9:19 Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:19 After all, who is our hope, our joy, our crown of boasting, if it is not you yourselves in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming?
- Proverbs 3:18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who lay hold of her are blessed.
- Matthew 4:19 “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
- Luke 5:9 For he and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,
- John 4:36 Already the reaper draws his wages and gathers a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together.
- Proverbs 15:4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.