The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that {s} winneth souls is wise.

(s) That is, brings them to the knowledge of God.

Wesley's Notes

11:30 The fruit - His discourses and his whole conversation, is like the fruit of the tree of life. Winneth - That gains souls to God.

King James Translators' Notes

winneth: Heb. taketh

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

30. a tree of life-Blessings to others proceed from the works of the righteous (Pr 3:18).

winneth souls-(Compare Margin) to do them good as opposed to Pr 6:25; Eze 13:18 (compare Lu 5:10).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:28. The true believer is a branch of the living Vine. When those that take root in the world wither, those who are grafted into Christ shall be fruitful. 29. He that brings trouble upon himself and his family, by carelessness, or by wickedness, shall be unable to keep and enjoy what he gets, as a man is unable to hold the wind, or to satisfy himself with it. 30. The righteous are as trees of life; and their influence upon earth, like the fruits of that tree, support and nourish the spiritual life in many. 31. Even the righteous, when they offend on earth, shall meet with sharp corrections; much more will the wicked meet the due reward of their sins. Let us then seek those blessings which our Surety purchased by his sufferings and death; let us seek to copy his example, and to keep his commandments.

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Verse 30

This shows what great blessings good men are, especially those that are eminently wise, to the places where they live, and therefore how much to be valued. 1. The righteous are as trees of life; the fruits of their piety and charity, their instructions, reproofs, examples, and prayers, their interest in heaven, and their influence upon earth, are like the fruits of that tree, precious and useful, contributing to the support and nourishment of the spiritual life in many; they are the ornaments of paradise, God's church on earth, for whose sake it stands. 2. The wise are something more; they are as trees of knowledge, not forbidden, but commanded knowledge. He that is wise, by communicating his wisdom, wins souls, wins upon them to bring them in love with God and holiness, and so wins them over into the interests of God's kingdom among men. The wise are said to turn many to righteousness, and that is the same with winning souls here, Dan. 12:3. Abraham's proselytes are called the souls that he had gotten, Gen. 12:5. Those that would win souls have need of wisdom to know how to deal with them; and those that do win souls show that they are wise.