Commentary - Proverbs 22:16

Bird's-eye view

Proverbs 22:16 is a compact statement of God's economic design, a design that is frequently and foolishly violated by sinful men. The verse presents us with two seemingly different paths to wealth that nevertheless arrive at the same impoverished destination. The first path is that of the brute, the man who oppresses the poor to get ahead. The second is that of the schmoozer, the man who gives to the rich, doubtless to curry favor and climb the social ladder. Solomon, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us that both of these strategies are bankrupt. They are contrary to the grain of the universe, and God Himself will see to it that these enterprises fail. This proverb is a sharp rebuke to all forms of godless capitalism and cronyism, and it is a reminder that true, lasting prosperity is found only in covenantal faithfulness to the living God, who is the ultimate defender of the poor and the confounder of the proud.

At its heart, this is a verse about the divine economy. God has structured the world in such a way that sin is not just immoral, it is profoundly stupid. It doesn't work. Trying to build wealth by injustice is like trying to build a house out of dry leaves in the path of a hurricane. This proverb, like all of Proverbs, drives us to the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of all true wisdom, including economic wisdom. It ultimately points us to Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and who, though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, so that we by His poverty might become rich.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

This proverb sits within a larger collection of "the words of the wise" (Proverbs 22:17). This section of Proverbs is filled with practical instructions for living a godly life in a fallen world. The immediate context deals with justice, wealth, and relationships. For example, just a few verses later, we are warned not to rob the poor because the Lord will plead their cause (Prov 22:22-23). This recurring theme shows that God's wisdom is intensely practical and has everything to say about our financial dealings. The modern sacred/secular divide, which tries to keep God out of our business and economic life, is utterly foreign to the biblical mindset. For Solomon, your theology determines your economics. A right view of God leads to just dealings with men, both poor and rich. A wrong view of God, or no view of God, leads to the kind of foolishness described in our text, which inevitably ends in ruin.

Verse-by-Verse Commentary

He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself...

The first character we are introduced to is the oppressor. This is the man who sees the poor not as a neighbor to be loved, but as a resource to be exploited. His goal is simple: "to make more for himself." This is the raw, unvarnished essence of sinful greed. He is not trying to build a business that provides value; he is a parasite. He leverages the vulnerability of the poor for his own gain. This could take many forms: paying unjust wages, charging exorbitant interest, seizing property through legal shenanigans, and so on. The methods are legion, but the motive is singular selfishness.

The Bible is crystal clear in its condemnation of such behavior. The Mosaic law was filled with protections for the poor, precisely because God knew the tendency of the sinful human heart to engage in this kind of oppression. But the point here in Proverbs is not just that this is wicked, but that it is self-defeating. The oppressor thinks he is climbing the ladder of success, but God has built the ladder on a trap door. He is working against the very fabric of God's created order. God identifies with the poor and needy; He is their defender and vindicator. To oppress the poor is to pick a fight with their very big, and very strong, older Brother. And that is never a wise business plan.

Or who gives to the rich...

Now we meet the second character. He might look more sophisticated than the first, perhaps wearing a better suit, but he is cut from the same cloth of folly. This is the man who "gives to the rich." At first glance, this might seem odd. Why would anyone give to the rich? The rich don't need gifts. But the motive is the same as the oppressor's: self-enrichment. This is not charity; it is an investment in the machinery of cronyism. He is giving a "gift" that is really a bribe, a favor intended to indebt the powerful to him. He is trying to buy his way into the inner circle, to get the government contract, the favorable regulation, the inside track.

This is the sin of the sycophant, the flatterer, the man who trusts in the arm of flesh. He believes that if he can just get the right powerful people on his side, his success will be guaranteed. He is playing the world's game of networking and mutual back-scratching. But in doing so, he is ignoring the God who raises up one and puts down another. He is seeking favor from men instead of from God. This is a form of practical atheism, and like all atheism, it is destined to fail. The rich man he is bribing may lose his position tomorrow. The political winds may shift. His whole strategy is built on the shifting sands of human power and influence.

...will only come to lack.

And here is the punchline, the divine verdict on both of these pathetic strategies. Whether you are the brutish oppressor or the smooth-talking cronyist, the destination is the same: you "will only come to lack." The Hebrew word here means poverty, want, destitution. The very thing they were clawing and scheming to avoid is the thing that will inevitably overtake them. This is not just a possibility; it is a certainty. Solomon states it as a fixed principle of reality, like the law of gravity.

How does this happen? God has a thousand ways to enforce His laws. The oppressor might find his ill-gotten gains eaten up by lawsuits, or his health might fail, or his children might squander his fortune. The man who bribes the rich might find himself on the wrong side of the next political upheaval, or his "friends" in high places might betray him when it is convenient. God can bring a man to ruin through a bad harvest, a shift in the market, or simply by giving him over to his own foolish decisions. The point is that God is not mocked. What a man sows, that he will also reap. If you sow injustice and faithlessness, you will reap a harvest of ruin. The universe is hard-wired for justice, because it was created and is sustained by a just God. Trying to get rich by sinful means is to wage war on reality itself. You cannot win.

Application

So what does this mean for us? First, it means that all our economic activity must be brought under the lordship of Jesus Christ. There is no area of our lives, including our work and our finances, that is exempt from His authority. We are to work hard, be creative, and seek to prosper, but we must do so according to His rules. This means dealing honestly and justly with everyone, especially the poor and vulnerable. It means refusing to play the world's games of bribery, flattery, and cronyism.

Second, this proverb calls us to trust God, not our own clever schemes. True and lasting wealth is a blessing from the Lord, and it comes to those who walk in His ways. This doesn't mean every faithful Christian will be a millionaire, but it does mean that God will provide for His people as they seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Our security is not in our bank accounts or our connections, but in our covenant-keeping God.

Finally, this verse should drive us to the gospel. We have all, in our own ways, oppressed the poor and given gifts to the rich. We have sought our own gain at the expense of others and have trusted in men rather than in God. We are all guilty of this kind of folly. Our only hope is in the one who perfectly fulfilled the law of God. Jesus did not oppress the poor; He became poor for them. He did not bribe the rich; He confronted their sin and called them to repentance. Through His death and resurrection, He offers us forgiveness for our economic sins and the power of the Holy Spirit to walk in a new way. He frees us from the love of money and enables us to be truly generous, giving not to get, but because we have already received everything in Him. That is the only economic plan that will never fail.