Proverbs 10:15

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

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
man’s	עָ֭שִׁיר 'A.shir	H6223	rich · adjective, masculine singular absolute
wealth	ה֣וֹן Hon	H1952	wealth · noun, common masculine singular construct
strong	עֻזּ֑וֹ u.Zo	H5797	strength in various applications (force · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
city	קִרְיַ֣ת kir.Yat	H7151	building · noun, common feminine singular construct
destruction	מְחִתַּ֖ת me.chi.Tat	H4288	properly · noun, common feminine singular construct
poor	דַּלִּ֣ים da.Lim	H1800	properly · adjective, masculine plural absolute
poverty	רֵישָֽׁם rei.Sham	H7389	poverty · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Proverbs 18:11 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.
Proverbs 19:7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to…
Psalms 52:7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
Proverbs 14:20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
Proverbs 22:22-23 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
Ecclesiastes 7:12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Job 31:24-25 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;
Psalms 49:6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 10:15

This may be taken two ways: - 1. As a reason why we should be diligent in our business, that we may avoid that sinking dispiriting uneasiness which attends poverty, and may enjoy the benefit and comfort which those have that are beforehand in the world. Taking pains is really the way to make ourselves and our families easy. Or, rather, 2. As a representation of the common mistakes both of rich and poor, concerning their outward condition. (1.) Rich people think themselves happy because they are rich; but it is their mistake: The rich man's wealth is, in his own conceit, his strong city, whereas the worst of evils it is too weak and utterly insufficient to protect them from. It will prove tha…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 10:15

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.

John Gill on Proverbs 10:15

The rich man's wealth is his strong city,.... What a fortified city is to persons in time of war, that is a rich man's wealth to him; by it he can defend himself from the injuries of others, and support himself and family in times of public calamity; for money is a defence, and answers all things, Ecclesiastes 7:12. Or his wealth is so in his own apprehension and conceit; he puts his trust and confidence in it, and thinks himself safe and secure by it; when he is trusting to uncertain riches, which will fail him; these may fly away from him in life, and leave him exposed to distress and danger; and, however, will not secure him at death from the wrath of God and everlasting destruction. Or h…

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Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 10:15

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 abun…

The Church Fathers

The wealth of the rich is his strong city, etc. The rich trust in their wealth as in a fortified city; the poor therefore tremble, fearing they may lack because they know they are needy. Spiritually, he who is rich in God trusts in Him through good works, as in an impregnable city that no enemy can overcome; but those who are afflicted by a lack of virtues are therefore in need of heavenly riches because they fear with harmful dread to endure harsh labors for the Lord.
— Bede, Commentary on Proverbs

But riches in themselves are not blameable. For the ransom of a man's life are his riches, for he who gives to the poor, redeems his soul. There is therefore scope for virtue even in these material riches. Ye are as it were pilots, in a great sea. If any man steers well his ship, he quickly passes over the sea, and reaches his haven, but he who cannot manage his property is sunk together with his burthen. Wherefore it is written, The rich man's strength is his strong city.
— Ambrose of Milan, Letters 61-70

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Poetry — Has been well defined as “the measured language of emotion.” Hebrew poetry deals almost exclusively with the great question of man’s relation to God. “Guilt, condemnation, punishment, pardon,…
Proverbs, Book of — A collection of moral and philosophical maxims of a wide range of subjects presented in a poetic form. This book sets forth the “philosophy of practical life. It is the sign to us that the Bible does…
Cities · Illustrative of: Riches — Illustrative of: Riches
Poor · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Poverty · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Proverbs 10:15

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 10:15

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 10:15

John Gill on Proverbs 10:15

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 10:15

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Proverbs 10:15

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 10:15

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 10:15

John Gill on Proverbs 10:15

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 10:15

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Proverbs 10:15

Rashi on Proverbs 10:15