Proverbs 14:20

20 Friends will hate poor friends; but the friends of the rich are many.

Proverbs 14:20 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 14:20

The poor is hated even of his own neighbour
As well as of strangers; that is, he is shy of him; he does not care to take any notice of him, or be friendly with him, lest he should be burdensome to him. Poverty brings a man into contempt and disgrace; the same man, in affluence and indigence, is respected or disrespected: this is true, as Gersom observes, of a man that is poor, whether in money or in knowledge, in his purse or in his understanding; but the rich [hath] many friends;
or, "many [are] the lovers of the rich" F18: for the sake of their riches; either for the sake of honour or profit, or because the rich want nothing of them, or because they themselves may gain something by them: this also is observed by the above Jewish commentator to be true of the rich in substance or in wisdom; but the former sense is best; for a wise man, if poor in the world, is but little regarded.


FOOTNOTES:

F18 (Mybr ryve ybhaw) "et amatores divitiis spissi", Schultens; "dilectores autem divitis multi sunt", Piscator. "Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos", Ovid. Trist. Eleg. 8. "Dat census honores, census amicitias", ib. Fasti, l. 1. so Phocylides, v. 925, 926.

Proverbs 14:20 In-Context

18 Fools shall have mischief for their portion; but the prudent shall take fast hold of understanding.
19 Evil men shall fall before the good; and the ungodly shall attend at the gates of the righteous.
20 Friends will hate poor friends; but the friends of the rich are many.
21 He that dishonours the needy sins: but he that has pity on the poor is most blessed.
22 They that go astray devise evils: but the good devise mercy and truth. The framers of evil do not understand mercy and truth: but compassion and faithfulness are with the framers of good.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.