Pro 14:21 | KingComments | STEP | In it seems to be about someone who has become poor. In addition to losing money and possessions, the poor person also loses his friend. That friend was someone of the kind who makes friends only because of the benefit it can bring. As the benefit disappears, so does the friendship. Friendship turns into hatred or contempt. We observe the truth of this every day. Everywhere we see that possessions determine how popular someone is. People are often ashamed of poor relatives because of their shabby clothes, shabbily furnished house or low education. “But those who love the rich are many” or, as it also can be translated, “the friends of the rich are many”. Friendship because of wealth is not true friendship. It is about only getting something of the other person’s wealth. Someone who is wise will not be led by that. Rich people seem to be the favorites of heaven, but that is deception. A friend is someone whom you trust to love you always, in all circumstances. Friendship should be about the person, not about what he possesses. connects with . We must not despise our neighbor, even if he is poor. To despise one’s neighbor means to sin against him and against God. One cannot sin against a neighbor and enjoy God’s blessings. To despise means to treat with contempt, to discard as worthless. James warns against this ( ; ). Loving God and loving one’s neighbor are inseparable ( ). In the second line of verse, the neighbor is supposed to be poor, or at least needy. Opposed to hating one’s neighbor is being gracious to him. He who does so is called “happy”. He will be rewarded by God for it ( ). The Lord Jesus puts it this way in His Beatitudes: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” ( ).

‏ Proverbs 14:21

The Attitude Toward Socially Deprived

In Pro 14:20 it seems to be about someone who has become poor. In addition to losing money and possessions, the poor person also loses his friend. That friend was someone of the kind who makes friends only because of the benefit it can bring. As the benefit disappears, so does the friendship. Friendship turns into hatred or contempt.

We observe the truth of this every day. Everywhere we see that possessions determine how popular someone is. People are often ashamed of poor relatives because of their shabby clothes, shabbily furnished house or low education.

“But those who love the rich are many” or, as it also can be translated, “the friends of the rich are many”. Friendship because of wealth is not true friendship. It is about only getting something of the other person’s wealth. Someone who is wise will not be led by that. Rich people seem to be the favorites of heaven, but that is deception.

A friend is someone whom you trust to love you always, in all circumstances. Friendship should be about the person, not about what he possesses.

Pro 14:21 connects with Pro 14:20. We must not despise our neighbor, even if he is poor. To despise one’s neighbor means to sin against him and against God. One cannot sin against a neighbor and enjoy God’s blessings. To despise means to treat with contempt, to discard as worthless. James warns against this (Jam 2:1-9; Job 36:5). Loving God and loving one’s neighbor are inseparable (Mt 22:37-40).

In the second line of verse, the neighbor is supposed to be poor, or at least needy. Opposed to hating one’s neighbor is being gracious to him. He who does so is called “happy”. He will be rewarded by God for it (Psa 41:2-3). The Lord Jesus puts it this way in His Beatitudes: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Mt 5:7).