Proverbs 22:23

23 For the Lord shall deem his cause, and he shall torment them that tormented his soul. (For the Lord shall judge his case, and he shall torment those who tormented him.)

Proverbs 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 ) .


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.

Proverbs 22:23 In-Context

21 (so) that I should show to thee the firmness and speeches of truth; to answer (out) of these things to them that sent (unto) thee.
22 Do thou not violence to a poor man, for he is poor; neither defoul thou a needy man in the gate. (Do not thou do violence to a poor person, because he is poor; and do not take advantage of a needy person in court/at the city gates.)
23 For the Lord shall deem his cause, and he shall torment them that tormented his soul. (For the Lord shall judge his case, and he shall torment those who tormented him.)
24 Do not thou be (a) friend to a wrathful man, neither go thou with a wrathful man;
25 lest peradventure thou learn his ways, and take cause of stumbling to thy soul. (lest perhaps thou learn his ways, and bring a cause of stumbling unto thy soul.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.