The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
Parallel translations
- WEB The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: Yahweh gives sight to the eyes of both.
- KJV The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth both their eyes.
- NKJV The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
- NASB The poor person and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
- NLT The poor and the oppressor have this in common— the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.
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
Rich and poor alike depend on the Lord, who gives life and sight to both. It affirms God's common care over all people regardless of status.
Overview
The proverb notes that the poor and the oppressor share a common Creator, for Yahweh gives light to the eyes of both. All people are equally dependent on God and accountable to Him. This common grace points forward to the gospel, in which God shows no partiality and offers salvation to people of every station (Acts 10:34-35).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Matt 5:45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
- Prov 22:2The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is Maker of them all.
- Ps 13:3Consider me and respond, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death,
- Eph 2:1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
- Exod 22:25–26If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
- Lev 25:35–37Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you.
- Neh 5:5–7We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
- 1 Cor 6:10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
- Matt 9:9As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.
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 29:13 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.