”The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; But of every one that is hasty only to want.“
Proverbs 21:5
A contrast is employed cleverly to showcase both ideas presented.
- A diligent (as in methodical and decisive) person is planning for long term wins. This brings excess to their lives and those around them.
- Other, non-diligent, people who are looking for easy shortcuts to wealth will choose paths leading to insufficiencies.
The ideas present a clever contrast in that each is self descriptive as well as illuminating the other.
Diligent, for instance, is a word which defines the foundational concept of wealth. The word stems from the idea of cutting or being sharp. Perhaps from being decisive meaning being willing to cut off. Compound that idea with an additional meaning of trench or moat as in making a deep cut in the earth to outline or protect your home turf and we start to see the concept of long term commitment taking shape.
The word diligent can even be used as a descriptor for or used poetically to allude to gold. In short, the word, “diligent,” seems to be synonymous with attaining and keeping value. To summarize: Diligent is consistently taking small steps in the correct direction and will lead you to big places.
Notice neither the person nor any thing about them are not mentioned in the verse. There is nothing else used as a descriptor other than the word, “diligent.” Even then, the verse is referencing the thoughts of the diligent person not the person or actions of the person. The concept presented is as follows; it does not matter what age, sex, religion, handicap, intelligence level, capability level, status, title or any other descriptor we can think of will lead you to success. We have two determining factors for bringing plenteousness, being diligent and controlled thinking. When you put those together long enough you will attain sufficient resources to sustain yourself. In the book of Proverbs that condition is named wealth. In life we call this place- winning.
In the second portion the word, “hasty,” is used to describe a persons behavior and, utilizing the contrast presented in the verse, their thought process. Cheating, get rich quick schemes, purchasing on credit, taking shortcuts, being impatient, settling for convenience sake or any other analogy that involves getting what you want without earning it flows from a, “hasty,” mindset.
The term, “want,” comes from the concept of inadequate resources. The idea of poverty in the book of Proverbs is alluded to as a location. We still use the same concept today. For instance, we say someone is, “in need or in poverty.” They are in a place of not having adequate resources to provide their sustenance.
The Proverb we are discussing infers hasty decisions, hasty thought processes, hurried purchases, or trying to get wealthy in a hurry will all lead to the place of insufficient resources, poverty and want. In life we call this place- losing.