One who increases his wealth by interest of any kind, Collects it for one who is gracious to the poor.
Parallel translations
- WEB He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.
- KJV He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
- BSB He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.
- NKJV One who increases his possessions by usury and extortion Gathers it for him who will pity the poor.
- NLT Income from charging high interest rates will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor.
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
Wealth gained by exploiting others through excessive interest will pass to someone who helps the poor. It assures that ill-gotten gain does not finally prosper the unjust.
Overview
The proverb declares that money amassed through usury and oppression will ultimately be transferred to one who shows mercy to the poor, reflecting God's providential justice. Exploitation cannot secure lasting reward. This anticipates the great reversal of God's kingdom, where the merciful are blessed and the proud are brought low (Luke 1:52-53).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Job 27:16–17Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare clothing as the clay;
- Prov 13:22A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored for the righteous.
- Eccl 2:26For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
- Exod 22:25“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be to him as a creditor. You shall not charge him interest.
- Lev 25:36Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God; that your brother may live among you.
- Ezek 18:17who has withdrawn his hand from the poor, who has not received interest nor increase, has executed my ordinances, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
- Ezek 18:8he who has not lent on interest, neither has taken any increase, who has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man,
- Ezek 18:13has lent on interest, and has taken increase; shall he then live? He shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood shall be on him.
- Prov 14:31He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he who is kind to the needy honors him.
- Prov 19:7All the relatives of the poor shun him: how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.
- 2 Sam 12:6He must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity!”
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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 28:8 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.