Proverbs 10:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: A rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.

NIV: The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

NASB: The rich person’s wealth is his fortress, The ruin of the poor is their poverty.

CSB: The wealth of the rich is his fortified city; the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

NLT: The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their destruction.

KJV: The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

NKJV: The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty.

Scripture does not deny that there is some value in worldly wealth—it only notes that this value is temporary and unreliable. Nor does it ignore the struggles of those who are in need—though it does not assign value to someone based on their bank account (Matthew 6:19–24). Here, as with many proverbs, Solomon's comment is simply an acknowledgement of reality. It's sometimes said that in order to make money, one needs to spend money. This is why the "cycle of poverty" is hard to break: being poor, in and of itself, creates challenges that can be hard to overcome.

A rich man's fortune can provide a certain amount of security. For example, if tragedy strikes and damages his house, he has the resources to repair the damage. If an enemy threatens him, he has the resources to defend himself. Poverty can render a person helpless. He is unable to defend against an enemy or powerless to improve his lot in life. Money is not fate, of course, but it's an unfortunate truth that being poor makes everything else in life more difficult.

The Bible warns about trusting in one's riches instead of in God. Paul gave Timothy the responsibility to charge the rich "not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17). It is not wrong to have riches. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man, but he courageously demonstrated his loyalty to Jesus by providing a tomb for Jesus' burial (see Luke 23:50–53). It is, however, wrong for riches to have us.

Proverbs 10:11–32 contrasts the righteous and the wicked, focusing on their different speech patterns, their different lifestyles, their different attitudes, and their different destinies. Verses 21 through 27 are especially focused on the different results which can be expected from pursuing godliness, versus pursuing sin.

This chapter begins 375 "proverbs," which are general-case lessons or observations. These wise remarks continue the discussion of wisdom and wickedness begun in chapters 1—9. Most of the verses in chapter 10 contain a sharp contrast, with the conjunction "but" separating the lines. Often, the subject changes from verse to verse. The contrasting subjects include sons, treasure, work ethic, reputation, relationships, success, and speech.

In Proverbs 7—9 Solomon contrasts wisdom and wickedness in the symbolic persons of Lady Wisdom and Woman Folly. He calls upon his sons, or students, to choose wisdom, and he points out the benefits of choosing wisdom and the disastrous results of choosing wickedness. Chapter 10 presents vivid contrasts between wisdom and wickedness in many of life's settings. These comparisons continue into chapter 11.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.