Commentary - Proverbs 19:22

Bird's-eye view

This proverb sets up a sharp contrast between what makes a man truly valuable and what makes him worthless, regardless of outward appearances. The central point is a reordering of our natural, fallen priorities. We tend to value wealth, status, and success, but God's wisdom literature tells us that the most attractive and desirable quality in a person is their covenant faithfulness, their loyal love. The Hebrew word here is hesed, a rich term describing the steadfast, loyal kindness that God shows His people and that His people are to show one another. This quality is then weighed against its opposite, not poverty, but falsehood. A poor man who is true is declared better than any man, rich or poor, who is a liar. The proverb thus teaches that integrity is of infinitely greater worth than material advantage, and that a man's true desirability is found in his character, specifically in his capacity for faithful love, not in his bank account.

In essence, Solomon is giving us a foundational principle of a godly society. What should we look for in a friend, a spouse, a leader, or a business partner? We should look for hesed. And what should we avoid at all costs? The man of falsehood. This is a direct confrontation to the world's way of thinking, which often excuses dishonesty in the pursuit of gain. The gospel recalibrates our value system entirely, showing us that the ultimate expression of lovingkindness is found in Christ, who was rich yet for our sakes became poor, and who is Himself the Truth. He embodies the desirable quality and exposes the utter bankruptcy of all falsehood.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 19 continues a long series of couplets that contrast the wise with the foolish, the righteous with the wicked. This particular verse fits squarely within that pattern. It follows verses that discuss the dangers of haste and ignorance (v. 2), the foolishness of blaming God for one's own ruin (v. 3), and the way wealth attracts false friends (v. 4). It precedes verses about the fear of the Lord leading to life (v. 23). The immediate context is one of practical, real-world wisdom. How does one navigate a world of deceitful people, fair-weather friends, and the temptations of wealth? Verse 22 provides a crucial metric: value character over currency. It echoes other proverbs that elevate integrity above riches (Prov 16:8; 19:1; 28:6) and reinforces the book's central message that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, which manifests itself in righteous living, including honesty and faithfulness.

Key Issues

The Economy of God's Kingdom

Every society has a currency, a standard of value by which things are measured. In the world's economy, that currency is very often money, power, or influence. A man is considered "better" if he has more of these things. But the book of Proverbs, and indeed the entire Bible, operates on a different economy. It presents a different standard of value. In God's kingdom, the currency is righteousness, faithfulness, and truth.

This proverb is a clear statement about the exchange rate in that divine economy. One poor man with integrity is worth more than a liar, and the implication is that this is true even if the liar is fabulously wealthy. The thing that makes a man truly desirable, what gives him real worth, is his hesed, his steadfast, covenantal love. This is not a sentimental, squishy affection, but a rugged, loyal, and active kindness. It is the glue that holds families, churches, and societies together. Falsehood, on the other hand, is the universal solvent. It dissolves trust, relationships, and eventually, entire cultures. Solomon is telling his son, and us, to learn how to properly value people and things according to God's accounting, not the world's.

Verse by Verse Commentary

22a What is desirable in a man is his lovingkindness,

The proverb opens by identifying the ultimate human charm, the quality that makes a person truly attractive and sought after. It is his "lovingkindness." The Hebrew word is hesed, and it is one of the most important words in the Old Testament. It doesn't just mean being nice. It is a covenantal term, packed with the meaning of loyalty, faithfulness, steadfast love, and mercy. It is most often used to describe God's tenacious, unrelenting love for His covenant people. For a man to possess hesed means he is a man of his word. He is loyal to his commitments, faithful to his friends and family, and merciful to those in need. He is a reflection, however faint, of the God who made him. This is what we should desire in others, and this is what we should cultivate in ourselves. The world may be drawn to charisma, wealth, or power, but the Spirit of God makes us desire faithfulness.

22b And better is a poor man than a man of falsehood.

The second clause presents the contrast. It sets up a comparison to show just how valuable this lovingkindness is. A poor man is set on one side of the scales. In a worldly sense, he has nothing. He lacks resources, influence, and status. On the other side is a "man of falsehood," a liar. The proverb doesn't specify his financial status, because it doesn't matter. He could be rich, promising you the moon, or he could be poor, telling you lies to get by. His defining characteristic is his dishonesty. The verdict of wisdom is clear and absolute: the poor man is better. Why? Because the poor man, in his simple integrity, possesses a fundamental honesty that the liar has abandoned. The liar has no foundation. His words are worthless, his promises are empty, and his character is bankrupt. He has traded the real currency of God's kingdom, which is truth, for the counterfeit currency of deceit. The poor man may have an empty wallet, but the liar has an empty soul.

This is a profoundly counter-cultural statement. We are constantly tempted to believe that a man who can "get things done," even if he cuts corners and bends the truth, is more valuable than a simple, honest man who doesn't have much to show for it. This proverb calls us to repent of that kind of thinking. It is better to have nothing and be true than to have everything and be a fraud. God hates a lying tongue (Prov 6:17), and the man who builds his life on falsehood is building it over a sinkhole.

Application

This proverb has teeth, and it should bite us in a number of places. First, it forces us to examine our own value system. When you are sizing up another person, what do you look for? What impresses you? Is it their resume, their house, their cleverness? Or is it their hesed, their track record of faithfulness and integrity? This applies to choosing a spouse, hiring an employee, electing an official, or simply making a friend. We are to be connoisseurs of character.

Second, it forces us to examine ourselves. What are we striving to be? Are we cultivating lovingkindness? Is our word our bond? Or are we willing to shade the truth, to exaggerate, to make false excuses, in order to gain an advantage or avoid discomfort? This proverb tells us that every time we choose falsehood, we are making ourselves "worse" in the eyes of God. We are devaluing ourselves. The poor man who keeps his word is a king next to the rich man who breaks it.

Ultimately, this proverb points us to Christ. He is the only man whose lovingkindness has never failed. His hesed is perfect and eternal. He is the ultimate desirable man. And He is the Truth incarnate (John 14:6). He is the ultimate refutation of all falsehood. The gospel is the good news that this man of perfect lovingkindness and truth became poor for our sakes, so that we, through His poverty, might become rich (2 Cor 8:9). He takes liars and frauds like us, washes us clean, and begins the work of making us into people who are truly desirable, people whose character is marked by His own lovingkindness and truth.