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Interpretive Question.
What insight does Proverbs give the reader into what it means to be either rich or
poor?
Word Study
Poor
There are number of Hebrew words employed in the Hebrew that are translated as
“poor.”
• Someone who wants to be rich must not love wine, oil or pleasure (21:17)
Comparison/Contrasting the “Rich” and “Poor” in Proverbs (All verse reference are from
NIV.)
Verse Observations
Better a poor man whose walk is blameless The KJV uses the term “integrity” whereas
than a fool whose lips are perverse. (19:1) the NIV uses “blameless.” Both translations
imply wholeness and being compared with
“perverseness” which would seem to be the
opposite. Perverseness seems to speak of
something hidden or dishonest. Blameless
implies an openness or honest. So it seems
it is better to be an honest poor man than a
fool who tells lies whether rich or poor is of
no concern here. A fool is a fool!
What a man desires is unfailing love; better Again we see the idea of integrity. That is,
to be poor than a liar (19:22). better to be poor, in need or hungry than to
be a liar, crooked or dishonest. The NIV
What is desirable in a man is his kindness, translation here is difficult when compared
And {it is} better to be a poor man than a to KJV or NASB where the terminology is
liar. (NASB) a about “kindness.” Both seem to suggest
that “kindness” is a desirable trait or virtue
The desire of a man [is] his kindness: and a found in a man rather than something a man
poor man [is] better than a liar. (KJV) longs after. It appears then the writer is
comparing the virtue of kindness to the vice
of being a liar. It is better to poor and show
kindness than to be someone who makes
promises to be kind and doesn’t keep them
– again it is about integrity!
Better a poor man whose walk is blameless See notes on 19:1 as it is a repeated Proverb
than a rich man whose ways are perverse
(28:6).
To be poor seems to mean someone who lacks sufficient resources in order to live
a self-sustaining life. Thus the poor depends on the rich but it is a relationship that ends in
servitude or slavery. There is an idea of the poor being “afflicted” which may possibly
infer they are either physically or emotionally incapable of living a self-sustaining life.
To be rich seems to mean someone who has the resources not only to sustain his
or her own life but also the lives of others (i.e. the poor). It also appears these definitions
imply a responsibility on behalf of the rich who are in power to those who have no
power. The writer suggests the rich must be careful not to trust in their own wealth.
Conclusion
I am left with the impression that the real point of the writer of Proverbs is not
necessarily about being rich or poor but how one handles his or her situation. In other
words, it is not about being either rich or poor its about having integrity with whatever
God has given (19:1; 28:6). It is better, says the writer, to live a life of wholeness because
all have a common Creator (14:31; 22:2) who will punish all liars (19:5, 9) no matter
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for `aniy (Strong's 6041)". Blue Letter
Bible. 1996-2010. 7 Feb 2010. < http://
www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H6041&t=KJV >
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for `anav (Strong's 6035)". Blue Letter
Bible. 1996-2010. 7 Feb 2010. < http://
www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H6035&t=KJV >
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for `ashar (Strong's 6238)". Blue Letter
Bible. 1996-2010. 7 Feb 2010. < http://
www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H6238&t=KJV >
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for `ashiyr (Strong's 6223)". Blue Letter
Bible. 1996-2010. 7 Feb 2010. < http://
www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H6223&t=KJV >
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for dal (Strong's 1800)". Blue Letter
Bible. 1996-2010. 7 Feb 2010. < http://
www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H1800&t=KJV >
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for machcowr (Strong's 4270)". Blue
Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 7 Feb 2010.
<http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H4270&t=KJV >
Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for yarash (Strong's 3423)". Blue Letter
Bible. 1996-2010. 7 Feb 2010. < http://
www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?
Strongs=H3423&t=KJV >