God’s Word Translation
Proverbs 21:13
13Whoever shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will call and not be answered.
Proverbs 21:13 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
- New International Version (NIV)Whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor Will also cry himself and not be heard.
Context of Proverbs 21:13
11When a mocker is punished, a gullible person becomes wise, and when a wise person is instructed, he gains knowledge. 12A righteous person wisely considers the house of a wicked person. He throws wicked people into disasters. Whoever shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will call and not be answered. 14A gift ⌞given⌟ in secret calms anger, and a secret bribe calms great fury. 15When justice is done, a righteous person is delighted, but troublemakers are terrified.
Read all of Proverbs 21Proverbs 21:13 word by word
אֹטֵ֣ם אָ֭זְנוֹ מִזַּעֲקַת־דָּ֑ל גַּֽם־ה֥וּא יִ֝קְרָ֗א וְלֹ֣א יֵעָנֶֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 21:13
- Psalms 58:4They have poisonous venom like snakes. They are like a deaf cobra that shuts its ears
- Zechariah 7:11“But people refused to pay attention. They shrugged their shoulders at me and shut their ears so that they couldn’t hear.
- Acts 7:57But the council members shouted and refused to listen. Then they rushed at Stephen with one purpose in mind,
- Proverbs 28:27Whoever gives to the poor lacks nothing. Whoever ignores the poor receives many curses.
- Deuteronomy 15:7This is what you must do whenever there are poor Israelites in one of your cities in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
- Nehemiah 5:1Then some of the people, the men and their wives, complained publicly about their Jewish relatives.
- Isaiah 1:15So when you stretch out your hands ⌞in prayer⌟, I will turn my eyes away from you. Even though you offer many prayers, I will not listen because your hands are covered with blood.
- Isaiah 58:6This is the kind of fasting I have chosen: Loosen the chains of wickedness, untie the straps of the yoke, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke.
- Jeremiah 34:16Now you have changed again and dishonored me. You brought back the male and female slaves that you had set free to live their own lives. You have forced them to be your male and female slaves again.
- James 2:13No mercy will be shown to those who show no mercy to others. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
- Proverbs 1:28“They will call to me at that time, but I will not answer. They will look for me, but they will not find me,
- Psalms 18:41They cried out for help, but there was no one to save them. They cried out to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
- Luke 13:25After the homeowner gets up and closes the door, ⌞it’s too late⌟. You can stand outside, knock at the door, and say, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’ But he will answer you, ‘I don’t know who you are.’
Commentaries on Proverbs 21:13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13Whoso stoppeth his ears - See the conduct of the priest and Levite to the man who fell among thieves; and let every man learn from this, that he who shuts his ear against the cry of the poor, shall have the ear of God shut against his cry. The words are quite plain; there is no difficulty here.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13Verse 13 Such as oppress the poor by beating down wages, such as will not relieve according to their ability those in distress, and those in authority who neglect to do justice, stop their ears at the cry of the poor. But doubtless care is to be used in the exercise of charity.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. The principles of retribution, often taught (compare Psa 18:26; Mt 7:1-12).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 21:13
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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