Whoever oppresses the poor taunts their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.
Parallel translations
- WEB He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.
- KJV He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
- NKJV He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy.
- NASB One who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, But one who is gracious to the needy honors Him.
- NLT Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him.
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
Oppressing the poor insults their Maker, but kindness to the needy honors Him. How we treat the poor reflects how we regard God.
Overview
Because every person bears God's image, oppressing the poor is an affront to the Creator, while showing them kindness honors Him. The proverb grounds social ethics in the doctrine of creation. Jesus takes this further, identifying with the needy so that kindness shown to them is shown to Him (Matthew 25:40).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Prov 22:2The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is Maker of them all.
- Prov 17:5He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.
- Prov 22:16Oppressing the poor to enrich oneself or giving gifts to the rich will surely lead to poverty.
- Prov 19:17Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.
- 1 Jn 4:21And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.
- Eccl 5:8If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them.
- 1 Jn 3:17–21If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
- 2 Cor 8:7–9But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
- Ps 12:5“For the cause of the oppressed and for the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,” says the LORD. “I will bring safety to him who yearns.”
- Job 31:13–16If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,
- John 12:8The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.”
- Matt 25:40–46And 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.’
- Prov 22:22–23Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate,
- Prov 14:21He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 14:31 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.