Proverbs 22:7
New International Version
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

New Living Translation
Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender.

English Standard Version
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

Berean Standard Bible
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

King James Bible
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

New King James Version
The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

New American Standard Bible
The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

NASB 1995
The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

NASB 1977
The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.

Legacy Standard Bible
The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is the slave of the lender.

Amplified Bible
The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

Christian Standard Bible
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a slave to the lender.

American Standard Version
The rich ruleth over the poor; And the borrower is servant to the lender.

Contemporary English Version
The poor are ruled by the rich, and those who borrow are slaves of moneylenders.

English Revised Version
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A rich person rules poor people, and a borrower is a slave to a lender.

Good News Translation
Poor people are slaves of the rich. Borrow money and you are the lender's slave.

International Standard Version
The wealthy rule over the poor, and anyone who borrows is a slave to the lender.

Majority Standard Bible
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

NET Bible
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

New Heart English Bible
The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.

Webster's Bible Translation
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

World English Bible
The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The rich rules over the poor, "" And a servant [is] the borrower to the lender.

Young's Literal Translation
The rich over the poor ruleth, And a servant is the borrower to the lender.

Smith's Literal Translation
The rich one will rule over the poor, and he borrowing, a servant to the man lending.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The rich ruleth over the poor: and the borrower is servant to him that lendeth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The rich rule over the poor. And the borrower is servant to the lender.

New American Bible
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

New Revised Standard Version
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The rich shall be ruled by the poor, and the servant shall loan to his former lender.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
A rich man will be authorized by the poor and the Servant will lend to him who was his lender.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The rich ruleth over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The rich will rule over the poor, and servants will lend to their own masters.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Good Name
6Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. 7The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. 8He who sows injustice will reap disaster, and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.…

Cross References
Romans 13:8
Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Matthew 6:24
No one can serve two masters: Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Luke 16:13
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”

James 2:6
But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?

1 Corinthians 7:23
You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.

Deuteronomy 15:6
When the LORD your God blesses you as He has promised, you will lend to many nations but borrow from none; you will rule over many nations but be ruled by none.

Deuteronomy 28:12
The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations, but borrow from none.

Nehemiah 5:4-5
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. / We 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.”

2 Kings 4:1
Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”

2 Kings 6:5
As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axe head fell into the water. “Oh, my master,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”

Matthew 18:23-25
Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. / As he began the settlements, a debtor owing ten thousand talents was brought to him. / Since the man was unable to pay, the master ordered that he be sold to pay his debt, along with his wife and children and everything he owned.

Exodus 22:25
If 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.

Leviticus 25:39-43
If a countryman among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, then you must not force him into slave labor. / Let him stay with you as a hired worker or temporary resident; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. / Then he and his children are to be released, and he may return to his clan and to the property of his fathers. ...

Nehemiah 5:1-5
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews. / Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.” / Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.” ...


Treasury of Scripture

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

rich

Proverbs 22:16,22
He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want…

Proverbs 14:31
He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.

Proverbs 18:23
The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.

the borrower

2 Kings 4:1
Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

Nehemiah 5:4,5
There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards…

Isaiah 24:2
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

lender

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Proverbs 22
1. A good name is more desirable than great wealth














The rich rule over the poor
This phrase highlights a recurring theme in biblical literature regarding the dynamics of wealth and power. In ancient Israel, as in many societies, wealth often translated into social and political influence. The rich, by virtue of their resources, could exert control over the less fortunate, shaping societal structures to their advantage. This concept is echoed in other scriptures, such as Ecclesiastes 5:8, which acknowledges the oppression of the poor and the perversion of justice. The Bible frequently warns against the misuse of wealth and power, urging the rich to act justly and to care for the needy, as seen in passages like Isaiah 1:17 and James 2:6.

and the borrower is slave to the lender
This part of the verse underscores the vulnerability and dependency that come with debt. In the ancient Near East, borrowing often led to a loss of freedom, as debtors could become indentured servants if they failed to repay their loans. This reality is reflected in the laws of the Old Testament, such as those found in Leviticus 25:39-43, which provide guidelines for the treatment of debt slaves. The imagery of slavery here is potent, illustrating the loss of autonomy and the burden of obligation that debt imposes. This principle is timeless, warning against the dangers of financial overextension and encouraging prudent stewardship of resources. The New Testament also speaks to the spiritual dimension of debt, with Jesus Christ offering freedom from the ultimate debt of sin, as seen in passages like Romans 6:18, where believers are described as being set free from sin and becoming slaves to righteousness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Rich
Individuals who possess wealth and resources, often having influence and power over others.

2. The Poor
Those who lack financial resources and are often subject to the authority or control of the wealthy.

3. The Borrower
A person who takes on debt, thereby entering into a relationship of obligation to the lender.

4. The Lender
The individual or entity that provides resources or money to the borrower, establishing a position of authority over them.
Teaching Points
Understanding Financial Authority
Recognize that wealth often brings power and influence, which can be used for good or ill. Christians are called to use their resources responsibly and ethically.

The Burden of Debt
Acknowledge that debt can lead to a form of bondage, limiting freedom and creating stress. It is wise to avoid unnecessary debt and strive for financial independence.

Biblical Stewardship
Embrace the biblical principle of stewardship, managing resources wisely and living within one's means to avoid the pitfalls of debt.

Generosity and Lending
Consider the biblical call to generosity, where lending is done with a spirit of kindness and without expecting repayment, reflecting God's grace.

Spiritual Implications of Debt
Reflect on how financial obligations can impact one's spiritual life, potentially hindering one's ability to serve God fully and freely.Verse 7. - The rich ruleth over the poor. "The rich man (singular) will rule over the poor" (plural); for there are many poor for one rich (see on ver. 3). This is the way of the world (Proverbs 18:23). Aben Ezra explains the gnome as showing the advantage of wealth and the inconvenience of poverty; the former bringing power and pre-eminence, the latter trouble and servitude; and hence the moralist implies that every one should strive and labour to obtain a competency, and thus avoid the evils of impecuniosity. The borrower is servant to the lender. (For the relation between borrower and louder, or debtor and creditor, see on Proverbs 20:16; and comp. Matthew 18:25, 34.) Delitzsch cites the German saying, "Borghart (borrower) is Lehnhart's (leader's) servant." We have the proverb, "He that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing." The Septuagint departs from the other versions and our Hebrew text, translating, "The rich will role over the poor, and household servants will lend to their own masters" - a reading on which some of the Fathers have commented.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The rich
עָ֭שִׁיר (‘ā·šîr)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6223: Rich

rule
יִמְשׁ֑וֹל (yim·šō·wl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4910: To rule, have dominion, reign

over the poor,
בְּרָשִׁ֣ים (bə·rā·šîm)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7326: To be in want or poor

and the borrower
לֹ֝וֶ֗ה (lō·weh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3867: To twine, to unite, to remain, to borrow, to lend

is slave
וְעֶ֥בֶד (wə·‘e·ḇeḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5650: Slave, servant

to the lender.
מַלְוֶֽה׃ (mal·weh)
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 3867: To twine, to unite, to remain, to borrow, to lend


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor (Prov. Pro Pr)
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