The poor person is shunned even by his own neighbor, but the rich person has many friends.
Parallel translations
- KJV The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
- BSB The poor man is hated even by his neighbor, but many are those who love the rich.
- ESV The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends.
- NKJV The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, But the rich has many friends.
- NASB The poor is hated even by his neighbor, But those who love the rich are many.
- NLT The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many “friends.”
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The poor are shunned even by neighbors, while the rich attract many friends. This exposes the shallowness of fair-weather friendship.
Overview
This proverb candidly observes the social reality that wealth draws crowds while poverty repels even neighbors. Rather than endorsing this pattern, it exposes the fickleness of friendships based on advantage. The contrast sets the stage for the next verse's call to mercy and rebukes the partiality that Scripture condemns (James 2:1-9).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Prov 19:4Wealth adds many friends, but the poor is separated from his friend.
- Prov 10:15The rich man’s wealth is his strong city. The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
- Job 30:10They abhor me, they stand aloof from me, and don’t hesitate to spit in my face.
- Prov 19:6–7Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
- Esth 3:2All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn’t bow down or pay him homage.
- Esth 5:10–11Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and went home. There, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh his wife.
- Job 19:13–14“He has put my brothers far from me. My acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.
- Job 6:21–23For now you are nothing. You see a terror, and are afraid.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 14:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.