Proverbs 14:21
in Proverbs 14He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth; But he that hath pity on the poor, happy is he.
KJV
He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
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This verse in Proverbs 14
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
The evil bow before the good
on Proverbs 14:19-21
“The evil bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous,” a reversal stated plainly. The cluster on poverty opens without softening it: “The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but many are those who love the rich”.
This site's exposition
He who despises his neighbor sins
Despising and kindness are the two ways open toward the poor neighbor. Adam Clarke applies the first line to scorn for a man's natural defects, which came through no fault or folly of his own. Such contempt is named sin.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth - To despise a man because he has some natural blemish is unjust, cruel, and wicked. He is not the author of his own imperfections; they did not occur through his fault or folly; and if he could, he would not retain them. It is, therefore, unjust and wicked to despise him for what is not his fault, but his misfortune.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בָּז־ | boz- | [one who] despises | H936 → | 12 times |
| לְרֵעֵ֥הוּ | lereehu | <to> neighbor his | H7453 → | 188 times |
| חוֹטֵ֑א | chote' | [is] sinning | H2398 → | 238 times |
| וּמְחוֹנֵ֖ן | umechonen | and [one who] shows favor to | H2603 → | 78 times |
| עֲנָוִ֣ים | anayim | humble [people] | H6035 → | 22 times |
| אַשְׁרָֽיו׃ | ʾashrav | how blessed [is] he | H835 → | 45 times |
בָּז־[one who] despises
boz-H936 →12 times
לְרֵעֵ֥הוּ<to> neighbor his
lereehuH7453 →188 times
חוֹטֵ֑א[is] sinning
chote'H2398 →238 times
וּמְחוֹנֵ֖ןand [one who] shows favor to
umechonenH2603 →78 times
עֲנָוִ֣יםhumble [people]
anayimH6035 →22 times
אַשְׁרָֽיו׃how blessed [is] he
ʾashravH835 →45 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 19:17Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
it leads to
- Proverbs 28:27
Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.
- Hebrews 6:10
For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
- Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured…
- 2 Corinthians 9:6–8
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
- Matthew 25:40
And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
- Proverbs 28:27
Through
Proverbs 28:27Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:17
Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
- Proverbs 19:17
Through
Proverbs 17:5He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
it leads to
- Proverbs 14:31
Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
- Job 31:29
If I have rejoiced in my enemy’s ruin, or exulted when evil befell him—
- Proverbs 14:31
Where this verse is studied
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.