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Selected Verse: Proverbs 10:15 - King James
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
Pr 10:15 |
King James |
The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Both by trusting in "uncertain riches" (Ti1 6:17), or by the evils of poverty (Pro 30:9), men, not fearing God, fall into dangers. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Destruction - That which crushes, throws into ruins. Wealth secures its possessors against many dangers; poverty exposes men to worse evils than itself, meanness, servility, and cowardice. Below the surface there lies, it may be, a grave irony against the rich; see Pro 18:11. |
Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78] |
A pair of proverbs regarding possession and gain.
Regarding possession:
The rich man's wealth is his strong city;
The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
The first line = Pro 18:11. One may render the idea according to that which is internal, and according to that which is external; and the proverb remains in both cases true. As עז may mean, of itself alone, power, as means of protection, or a bulwark (Psa 8:3), or the consciousness of power, high feeling, pride (Jdg 5:21); so קרית עזּו may be rendered as an object of self-confidence, and מחתּה, on the contrary, as an object of terror (Jer 48:39): the rich man, to whom his estate (vid., on הון, p. 63) affords a sure reserve and an abundant source of help, can appear confident and go forth energetically; on the contrary, the poor man is timid and bashful, and is easily dejected and discouraged. Thus e.g., Oetinger and Hitzig. But the objective interpretation is allowable, and lies also much nearer: the rich man stands thus independent, changes and adversities cannot so easily overthrow him, he is also raised above many hazards and temptations; on the contrary, the poor man is overthrown by little misfortunes, and his despairing endeavours to save himself, when they fail, ruin him completely, and perhaps make him at the same time a moral outlaw. It is quite an experienced fact which this proverb expresses, but one from which the double doctrine is easily derived: (1) That it is not only advised, but also commanded, that man make the firm establishing of his external life-position the aim of his endeavour; (2) That one ought to treat with forbearance the humble man; and if he always sinks deeper and deeper, one ought not to judge him with unmerciful harshness and in proud self-exaltation. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Wealth - It often redeems him from dangers and calamities. Poverty - Is the cause of their ruin. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
The rich man's wealth is his strong city - Behold a mystery in providence; there is not a rich man on earth but becomes such by means of the poor! Property comes from the labor of the poor, and the king himself is served of the field. How unjust, diabolically so, is it to despise or oppress those by whose labor all property is acquired!
The destruction of the poor is their poverty - A man in abject poverty never arises out of this pit. They have no nucleus about which property may aggregate. The poet spoke well: -
Haud facile emergunt, quorum virtutibus obstat
Res angusta domi.
"They rarely emerge from poverty, whose exertions are cramped by want at home." |
9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;
11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.
39 They shall howl, saying, How is it broken down! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all them about him.
21 The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
11 The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.