Bird's-eye view
This proverb, like so many others, sets before us a stark choice, a spiritual fork in the road. It forces us to calibrate our values, not according to the world's gaudy price tags, but according to God's eternal stock market report. The choice is between two men: a poor man who has integrity, and a rich man who is crooked. The world, enslaved to mammon, would instinctively choose the rich man's path, assuming that his wealth is a sign of blessing and his crookedness is just a regrettable but necessary part of "getting ahead." But the wisdom of God declares that the poor man is unequivocally "better." This is not a sentimental ode to poverty. It is a hard-headed, clear-eyed assessment of spiritual reality. Integrity, a life that is whole and sound before God, is an asset of such immense value that it makes a poor man truly wealthy. Crookedness, a life of duplicity and deceit, is a liability of such catastrophic weight that it renders a rich man spiritually bankrupt, a fool on the verge of collapse.
The central issue is the nature of true wealth. Is it found in what a man possesses, or in what a man is? The proverb teaches us that character is capital. A man whose life is "of a piece," whose walk matches his talk, who is the same in private as he is in public, possesses a treasure that cannot be devalued by market crashes or eaten by moths. The rich man, for all his outward success, is perverse in his ways; his path is twisted, doubled, and ultimately leads to destruction. This proverb is a diagnostic tool for our hearts, forcing us to ask what we truly value. Would you rather have a clear conscience and an empty wallet, or a fat bank account and a soul tied in knots?
Outline
- 1. The Great Revaluation (Prov 28:6)
- a. The Superior Man: Poor but Integrated (v. 6a)
- b. The Inferior Man: Rich but Perverse (v. 6b)
- c. The Divine Standard of "Better" (v. 6)
Context In Proverbs
Proverbs 28 is a chapter full of contrasts between the righteous and the wicked, the wise and the foolish, often touching on themes of justice, wealth, and integrity. This particular verse fits snugly within this pattern. It follows a verse about the prosperity that comes from confessing sin versus the ruin of covering it up (Prov 28:13, though verse numbering can vary). It is near other proverbs that deal with wealth gained unjustly (Prov 28:8) and the folly of trusting one's own heart (Prov 28:26). The book of Proverbs consistently teaches that there is a moral order to the universe established by God. True success, true "profit," is found in aligning oneself with that order through the fear of the Lord. This verse is a classic example of that principle. It warns against the seductive lie that financial success can be detached from moral character. In God's economy, the two are inextricably linked, and this verse helps us see which one holds the real, lasting value.
Key Issues
- The Biblical Definition of Integrity
- The Deception of Riches
- The Nature of Perversity or "Crookedness"
- God's Standard of Value ("Better")
- The Relationship Between Character and True Prosperity
Calibrating Our Preferences
We live in a world that is constantly trying to sell us a bill of goods. It tells us what to value, what to desire, and what to pursue. And at the top of that list, almost always, is wealth. The world screams that rich is better than poor, no matter what. This proverb is God's market correction. It is a divine recalibration of our desires. God sets two men before us and says, "Choose which one is better."
The choice is not between rich and poor. The choice is between integrity and crookedness. The poverty and wealth are the circumstantial details, the window dressing. The real substance is the state of the man's soul. God is teaching us to reason, to weigh things properly. What would you rather have? A lake cabin and a bad conscience, or a good conscience and fifty cents? A corner office gained by backstabbing, or a clean heart in a cubicle? Scripture forces these choices on us because our hearts are naturally drawn to the glitter of the rich man's gold, and we are easily blinded to the corrosion on his soul. This proverb is a pair of spiritual sunglasses, allowing us to see past the glare of wealth to the actual state of the men in question.
Verse by Verse Commentary
6 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity...
The first man is described by two characteristics: his financial status and his moral character. He is poor. This is his external condition. Scripture is not naive about the hardships of poverty, but it refuses to make poverty the ultimate evil. His second, and defining, characteristic is that he "walks in his integrity." The Hebrew word for integrity (tom) suggests wholeness, completeness, soundness. This is a man who is all of one piece. There is no gap between his profession and his practice. His life is integrated. He is not one person in the temple and another in the marketplace. His "walk" signifies his entire course of life, his daily conduct. So, here is a man whose outward circumstances are difficult, but whose inner life and public conduct are sound, whole, and consistent. God looks at this man and declares his situation to be "better."
Than he who is crooked, double dealing, though he be rich.
Now for the second man, the contrast. His financial status is that he is rich. This is what the world sees and applauds. But God looks deeper and sees his moral character: he is "crooked." The Hebrew here speaks of being perverse or twisted. The KJV says he is "perverse in his ways." The idea is of a path that is not straight. It involves duplicity, deceit, being "double dealing." He has two sets of books, two faces, two standards of conduct. He might be scrupulously "honest" when it benefits his reputation, but he is willing to cut corners, lie, and cheat when he thinks he can get away with it. His life is not whole; it is fractured. The proverb adds the qualifier "though he be rich" almost as an afterthought, as if to say, "Yes, we see the money, we've factored that in, and it doesn't change the verdict one bit." The riches, far from excusing his crookedness, are likely the very fruit of it, and they cannot alter the fact that his condition is fundamentally "worse."
The perversity is not just in one action, but in his "ways," plural. This is a lifestyle of duplicity. He is a man who has mastered the art of appearing one way while being another. This is the essence of hypocrisy, and it is a condition that God loathes. His riches are a testimony not to God's blessing, but to his skill in navigating the twisted paths of this fallen world. But those paths all lead to a cliff.
Application
This proverb is a direct assault on the prosperity gospel, both the loud, gaudy kind and the quiet, respectable kind that can infect our own hearts. It forces us to define what "better" really means. Is a bigger house "better" if it was bought with a compromised conscience? Is a promotion "better" if it was gained by trampling on a coworker? This verse demands that we value a clean conscience more than a clean credit report.
For the man who is struggling financially but striving to walk in integrity, this is a profound encouragement. God sees you. He values your faithfulness far more than the world values a man's portfolio. Your integrity is true treasure in His sight. Do not be tempted to trade that treasure for the fool's gold of dishonest gain. Your reward is not found in the temporary comforts of this life, but in the "well done, good and faithful servant" from the Master.
For the man who is tempted to be "crooked in his ways" for the sake of gain, this is a severe warning. You are making a fool's bargain. You are trading eternal weight for temporal fluff. Every dollar gained through deceit, every success built on a lie, is simply adding another story to your own personal Tower of Babel, and judgment is coming. The crooked path may seem clever and profitable for a season, but it is the path of a fool who trusts in his own heart (Prov 28:26).
Ultimately, the only man who ever walked in perfect integrity was the Lord Jesus Christ. He was poor, having no place to lay His head, yet He was possessed of the ultimate treasure of perfect righteousness. On the cross, He who knew no crookedness became sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). He took our perverse ways upon Himself and gives us His wholeness in return. Therefore, our pursuit of integrity is not a self-righteous attempt to earn God's favor, but a grateful response to the grace that has already been given to us. We walk the straight path because He has rescued us from the crooked one.