Proverbs 13:23

“Much food [is in] the tillage of the poor, etc.] The poor are generally employed in tilling land; from whose labours in ploughing and sowing much food arises to men, bread to the eater, and seed to the sower: or a poor farmer, that has but a small farm, a few acres of land, to till; yet through his diligence and industry, with the blessing of God upon it, he gets a comfortable livelihood for himself and family; much food, or a sufficiency of it for the present year, and seed to sow land again the following year; but there is [that is] destroyed for want of judgment; or discretion in tilling his land, and managing the affairs of husbandry, which is God’s gift, (<232826>Isaiah 28:26); or,…”

“The laboring poor prosper more than those who injudiciously or wickedly strive, by fraud and violence, to supersede the necessity of lawful labor.”

“The contrast is the ever recurring one between honest poverty and dishonest wealth. “The new-plowed field of the poor is much food, but there are those, who, though rich, perish through their disregard of right.” return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliographical Information Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on Proverbs 13". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/proverbs-13.html. 1870. StudyLight.org &copy;&#160;2001-2026 Powered by Lightspeed Technology”

“The poor - Poor persons by their diligent labours, and God's blessing often grow rich. Destroyed - Or, consumed, brought to poverty, for want of discretion. Proverbs 13:24”

“13:23 Hard work does not always bring prosperity (cp. 10:4-6; 12:11; 13:4) because injustice occurs in the world.”

“food: Pro 12:11, Pro 12:14, Pro 27:18, Pro 27:23-27, Pro 28:19; Ecc 5:9 destroyed: Pro 6:6-11, Pro 11:5, Pro 11:6; Psa 112:5; Ecc 8:5, Ecc 8:6; Jer 8:7-10 Proverbs 13:24”

“Connected with Pro 13:22 there now follow two proverbs regarding sustenance, with one intervening regarding education. 23 The poor man's fresh land gives food in abundance, And many are destroyed by iniquity. The Targ. and Theodotion (μέγας) translate רב, but the Masora has רב־ with short Kametz, as Pro 20:6; Ecc 1:8 (cf. Kimchi under רבב). The rendering: multitudo cibi est ager pauperum, makes the produce the property of the field (= frugum fertilis). ניר .)s is the new field (novale or novalis, viz., ager), from ניר, to make arable, fruitful; properly to raise up, viz., by grubbing and freeing of stones (סקּל). But why, asks Hitzig, just the new field? As if no answer could be given to…”