Mishle 22:23

23 For Hashem will plead their cause, and plunder the nefesh of those that plundered them.

Mishle 22:23 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 22:23

For the Lord will plead their cause
If counsellors at the bar will not, he will; if judges on the bench will not do them justice, he will; he will judge the poor of the people; he will plead their cause, and plead it thoroughly, till he has brought forth judgment unto victory: woe to the man against whom Jehovah pleads; happy the poor on whose side he is; for their Redeemer is mighty, the Lord of hosts is his name, ( Psalms 72:4 ) ( Jeremiah 50:34 ) ; and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them;
they could only spoil the poor of their goods, but the Lord can and will spoil and destroy the souls of the spoilers in hell: or, "spoil them that spoiled their soul" or "life" ^F11; that is, who spoiled them of their goods, and took away that small pittance they had, which was their life or livelihood; they shall be spoiled themselves that spoil others; the same measure they have meted out shall be measured out to them again; God will destroy them that destroy the earth, even antichrist and his followers, the oppressors of Christ's poor on earth, ( Revelation 11:18 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (vpn mhyebq ta ebqw) "et vim faciet illis, qui animae eorum vim intulerunt", Munster, Vatablus; "et spoliabit eos qui spotiant ipsos anima", Michaelis.

Mishle 22:23 In-Context

21 That I might make thee know the certain truth of the words of emes; that thou mightest bring back words of emes to them that send thee?

22 Exploit not the dal (poor), because he is dal (poor); neither oppress the oni (afflicted) in the sha’ar,

23 For Hashem will plead their cause, and plunder the nefesh of those that plundered them.

24 Make no friendship with a ba’al af (angry man), and with an ish chemot (man of wrath) thou shalt not go,

25 Lest thou learn his orkhot (ways), and take a mokesh (snare) for thy nefesh.