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Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22 joins trust in YHWH to wise conduct with money, children, neighbors, and work.

Short sayings address reputation, wealth, and the choices that shape a household and its neighbors. Rich and poor stand before the same Maker, while generosity and exploitation receive contrasting judgments. At verse 17, the form shifts: a teacher addresses a learner, calling for close attention to the words of the wise so that the learner will trust YHWH. Instructions follow about protecting the poor, avoiding angry companions, and respecting debts and property boundaries.

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1A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.
2The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is the maker of them all.
3A prudent man sees danger and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.
4The result of humility and the fear of the LORD is wealth, honor, and life.
5Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked; whoever guards his soul stays far from them.
6Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
7The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.
8He who sows wickedness reaps trouble, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.
9He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
10Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.
11He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully is the king’s friend.
12The LORD’s eyes watch over knowledge, but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.
13The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets!”
14The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit. He who is under the LORD’s wrath will fall into it.
15Folly is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline drives it far from him.
16Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase and whoever gives to the rich, both come to poverty.
17Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.
18For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.
19I teach you today, even you, so that your trust may be in the LORD.
20Haven’t I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,
21To teach you truth, reliable words, to give sound answers to the ones who sent you?
22Don’t exploit the poor because he is poor; and don’t crush the needy in court;
23for the LORD will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them.
24Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man. Don’t associate with one who harbors anger,
25lest you learn his ways and ensnare your soul.
26Don’t you be one of those who strike hands, of those who are collateral for debts.
27If you don’t have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?
28Don’t move the ancient boundary stone which your fathers have set up.
29Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve kings. He won’t serve obscure men.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Proverbs 22:9Sharing food with the poor makes generosity concrete within a chapter that warns against exploiting vulnerable people.
Proverbs 22:5The image of thorns and snares presents wickedness as a dangerous path that calls for watchful avoidance.
Proverbs 22:19The teacher names trust in YHWH as the purpose of receiving and retaining wise instruction.
Where this chapter reaches

Deuteronomy shares this chapter’s commands against moving boundary markers and denying justice to the poor, placing property and courts under God’s authority. James shares its concern about dishonoring the poor, while Psalm shares its themes of trusting YHWH and his defense of the needy.

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After reading the whole chapter

How does this chapter’s view of wealth challenge the way you measure a good life?

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Which warning or instruction would you like to understand better, and what makes it hard to receive?

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Questions people ask about Proverbs 22

Does Proverbs 22:6 guarantee that a child will keep the faith?

Verse 6 describes the lasting influence of training a child in the right way. As a proverb, it states a general pattern of wise living rather than an unconditional prediction about every child. It does not explain every later choice or make a child’s conduct a complete measure of parental faithfulness.

Does Proverbs 22 say borrowing money is a sin?

Verse 7 describes the power a lender holds over a borrower; it does not declare every loan sinful. Verses 26–27 warn against pledging to cover debts when payment is beyond your means. The concern is real dependence and loss, pictured through the seizure of a person’s bed.

What are the thirty sayings in Proverbs 22?

Verse 20 introduces a collection of wise instruction that begins with the appeal in verse 17 and continues beyond this chapter. The supplied translation reads “thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge.” The Hebrew wording has been understood in different ways, so translations differ in how they render the phrase.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).