Proverbs 3:27

27 Do not thou forbid to do well him that may; if thou mayest, also do thou well. (Do not thou forbid anyone to do good who can; and if thou be able, thou do good as well.)

Proverbs 3:27 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 3:27

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due
Honour, reverence, and tribute, to civil magistrates, ( Romans 13:7 Romans 13:8 ) ; just payment of debts to creditors, and alms to the poor, which, by what follows, seems to be chiefly intended; and the Septuagint render it,

``do not abstain to do well to the needy;''

and Aben Ezra interprets it of the poor; to them alms are due because of their wants, and by the appointment; of God; hence called "righteousness", in some copies of ( Matthew 6:1 ) ; so money kept from the poor "mammon of unrighteousness", ( Luke 16:9 ) . They are, as the word in the Hebrew text signifies, "the owners thereof" ^F8: rich men are not so much proprietors of good things as they are God's alms givers or stewards to distribute to the poor; and, as often as men have opportunity, they should do good in this way to all, especially to the household of faith, ( Galatians 6:10 ) ; this will hold true, as of temporal good things, so of spiritual; as good advice, exhortation, and doctrine. The Vulgate Latin version is, "do not forbid him to do well that can"; which sense is favoured by Jarchi: and as we should not abstain from doing good ourselves, so neither should we forbid, hinder, or discourage others; but the former sense is best; when it is in the power of thine hand to do [it];
not to hinder others, as Jarchi, but to do good; when a man has a sufficiency in his hands to do good with; has not only enough for himself and his family, but something to spare; when he has both opportunity and ability; and when he can do it at once and without delay, as follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 (wylebm) "a dominis suis", Vatablus, Mercerus, Gejerus, Michaelis.

Proverbs 3:27 In-Context

25 Dread thou not of sudden fear, and the powers of wicked men falling in on thee. (Fear thou not sudden disaster, and the power, or the might, of the wicked falling in upon thee.)

26 For the Lord shall be at thy side; and he shall keep thy foot (safe), that thou be not taken.

27 Do not thou forbid to do well him that may; if thou mayest, also do thou well. (Do not thou forbid anyone to do good who can; and if thou be able, thou do good as well.)

28 Say thou not to thy friend, Go, and turn again, and tomorrow I shall give to thee; when thou mayest give anon. (Say thou not to thy friend, Go away, and return tomorrow, and then I shall give you what you need; when thou can give it to him at once.)

29 Imagine thou not evil to thy friend (Imagine thou not evil against thy friend), when he hath trust in thee.