Proverbs 22:2-12

2 ¹The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is ²the maker of them all.

3 ³The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.

4 The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is ⁴riches and honor and life. ^[a]

5 ⁵Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever ⁶guards his soul will keep far from them.

6 ⁷Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

7 ⁸The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

8 Whoever ⁹sows injustice will reap calamity, and ¹⁰the rod of his fury will fail.

9 ¹¹Whoever has a bountiful^[b] eye will be blessed, for he ¹²shares his bread with the poor.

10 ¹³Drive out a scoffer, ¹⁴and strife will go out, and ¹⁵quarreling and abuse will cease.

11 He who ¹⁶loves purity of heart, and whose ¹⁷speech is gracious, ¹⁸will have the king as his friend.

12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge, but he ¹⁹overthrows the words of the traitor.

Proverbs 22:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 10

This chapter contains an account of the queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon to her great satisfaction, 1Ki 10:1-13, of Solomon's merchandise and riches, and the magnificence of his court, 1Ki 10:14-23, of the rich presents sent to him, and of the purchase of chariots and horses, and other things, he made, 1Ki 10:24-29.

Cross References

• 1. 22:2 [ch. 29:13]
• 2. 22:2 ch. 14:31; Job 31:15
• 3. 22:3 ch. 27:12; [ch. 14:16]
• 4. 22:4 [ch. 21:20, 21]
• 5. 22:5 ch. 15:19
• 6. 22:5 ch. 21:23; [1 John 5:18]
• 7. 22:6 Eph. 6:4; 2 Tim. 3:15
• 8. 22:7 James 2:6
• 9. 22:8 Job 4:8; [Hos. 10:13]
• 10. 22:8 [Isa. 14:6; 30:31]
• 11. 22:9 [ch. 19:17; 2 Cor. 9:6]
• 12. 22:9 [ch. 19:17; Luke 14:13, 14]
• 13. 22:10 [Gen. 21:9, 10]
• 14. 22:10 [ch. 26:20]
• 15. 22:10 ch. 26:20
• 16. 22:11 [ch. 16:13; Ps. 101:6]
• 17. 22:11 [Eccles. 10:12]
• 18. 22:11 [ch. 14:35]
• 19. 22:12 ch. 21:12; [ch. 11:3]

Footnotes

• [a] 22:4 Or 'The reward for humility is the fear of the 'Lord', riches and honor and life'
• [b] 22:9 Hebrew 'good'