Commentary - Proverbs 14:20

Bird's-eye view

Proverbs 14:20 is a brutally honest piece of social commentary delivered with the sharp edge of inspired wisdom. It is not a command, but rather a diagnosis of a chronic disease of the human heart. In two short, contrasting clauses, Solomon lays bare the default operating system of a fallen world. This is a world that measures a man's worth by his net worth. The proverb observes that poverty tends to repel people, even those who should be closest, while wealth acts as a social magnet, attracting a crowd of so-called friends. This is not how things ought to be, and the rest of Scripture makes that abundantly clear. This proverb serves as a mirror, forcing us to see the world as it is, and to see the ugly pragmatism that often lurks in our own hearts, in order to prepare us for the gospel command to live by a completely different, otherworldly calculus.

The verse functions as a setup. By stating the cold, hard reality of human sinfulness, it creates the necessary backdrop for the commands that follow, such as in the very next verse, "He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he" (Prov. 14:21). The wisdom of God begins with seeing things as they actually are, and what we have here is a clear-eyed assessment of the relational consequences of the fall. It is a world where utility trumps fidelity, and personal advantage outweighs covenant duty.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

This proverb sits within a chapter full of contrasts between wisdom and folly, righteousness and wickedness, and their respective outcomes. Proverbs often teaches by holding up two opposing ways of life and showing where each path leads. Chapter 14 contrasts the wise woman who builds her house with the foolish one who tears it down (v. 1), the upright who fear the Lord with the perverse who despise Him (v. 2), and the simple who inherit folly with the prudent who are crowned with knowledge (v. 18). Our verse, 14:20, fits squarely in this pattern. It presents a sharp, observational contrast between the social fortunes of the poor man and the rich man. It is a piece of realism. The book of Proverbs is not naive; it understands how a sinful world works. It does not endorse this behavior but simply states it as a fact of life east of Eden. This realism is crucial, because biblical ethics are not for a fantasy world, but for this one. This verse describes the problem that other proverbs, and indeed the entire law and the prophets, are meant to solve. For instance, verse 31 of this same chapter gives the divine commentary on this behavior: "He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor."

Key Issues

The Cold Calculus of a Fallen World

The book of Proverbs is intensely practical, and this means it has to be unflinchingly realistic. Before you can fix a problem, you have to look it squarely in the face. This verse does not describe the way things are in the New Jerusalem. It describes the way things are in Moscow, London, and your own home town. It describes the powerful, gravitational pull of sin on all human relationships. The default setting for the fallen human heart is not charity, but a cold, self-interested calculus. Who can help me? Who can advance my cause? Who is a liability to me? Who is a drain on my resources? This proverb simply puts that raw calculation into words. It is the wisdom of the world, which is foolishness with God. And God puts it in His word so that we might see it, recognize it in ourselves, and repent of it.

Verse by Verse Commentary

20 The poor is hated even by his neighbor...

The first clause lands like a punch to the gut. The word "hated" here is a classic example of the Bible using a strong, stark term to make a point. It doesn't necessarily mean that the neighbor is filled with burning, malicious animosity. In the Hebrew way of thinking, love and hate are often used as a contrasting pair to mean acceptance and rejection, or preference and dis-preference. To be "hated" is to be shunned, avoided, overlooked, and treated as a nuisance. The real sting of the phrase is found in the words "even by his neighbor." A neighbor, in the biblical world, is not just the fellow who lives in the next tent over. He is a covenant member of the same community. He is the one who, by virtue of proximity and shared life, has the primary duty of care. He is the one who is supposed to help you when your ox falls into a ditch. But here, sin has so twisted things that the very person who should be the first line of support becomes another source of rejection. Why? Because the poor man is seen as a potential drain. He is a walking, talking obligation. He represents a demand that the selfish heart does not want to meet. And so, the natural man's response is to keep his distance. He doesn't want to get involved. This is the spirit of Cain, asking "Am I my brother's keeper?"

...But those who love the rich are many.

The second clause provides the stark contrast. While the poor man is isolated, the rich man is surrounded. But what is the nature of this crowd? The proverb calls them "lovers," but the context makes it clear that this is not a virtuous love. This is the "love" of the sycophant, the flatterer, the hanger-on. These are not friends who love the rich man for his character, but for his cash. They are drawn to him because he is a source of potential benefit. He can lend money, offer employment, provide access to power, and throw good parties. The "love" they offer is entirely conditional on his continued prosperity. Should his riches vanish, so would his "many friends." These are what we call fair-weather friends. They are not loving the man; they are loving his wallet. So, the rich man's popularity is just as much a product of a fallen world as the poor man's isolation. Both are rooted in the same sin: valuing people for what you can get out of them.

Application

This proverb is a diagnostic tool, and it should drive us to the Great Physician. It forces us to ask some uncomfortable questions. Do we cultivate friendships with people who can do things for us, while conveniently forgetting those who need us to do things for them? When we hear of a brother in need, is our first instinct one of compassion, or one of annoyance and a desire to avoid entanglement? This proverb exposes our natural, sinful tendency to live by the world's ledger of profit and loss.

The gospel, and the gospel alone, is the answer to this condition. The Lord Jesus Christ completely overturned this worldly calculus. He was rich beyond all telling, and yet for our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). He was not surrounded by the powerful and influential; He was a friend of tax collectors and sinners. He did not shun the needy; He moved toward them with compassion and healing power. And in the ultimate expression of this reversal, He was hated and rejected by His neighbors. He was despised by His own people, and abandoned by His friends, becoming utterly poor and desolate on the cross. He did this for a people who were spiritual paupers, with nothing to offer Him in return.

Therefore, the Christian is called to a radical new way of ordering his relationships. We are to love not for what we can get, but for what we can give. We are to show honor to the poor, recognizing that in their face we see the image of our Maker (Prov. 14:31). We are to be the kind of neighbor who does not hate, but who helps. We are to be the kind of friend who is not drawn by wealth, but who is loyal in adversity. This is impossible for the natural man, who is enslaved to his own self-interest. But for the one who has been made rich in Christ, who has been given a new heart, it becomes our new nature. We are freed from the cold calculus of the world to live in the warm and generous economy of the kingdom of God, where the last are first, and the greatest is the servant of all.