New King James Version
Proverbs 10:15
15The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
Proverbs 10:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.
- New International Version (NIV)The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.
- English Standard Version (ESV)A rich man's wealth is his strong city; the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The wealth of the rich is their fortress; the poverty of the poor is their destruction.
Context of Proverbs 10:15
13Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding, But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding. 14Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; The destruction of the poor is their poverty. 16The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin. 17He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.
Read all of Proverbs 10Proverbs 10:15 word by word
ה֣וֹן עָ֭שִׁיר קִרְיַ֣ת עֻזּ֑וֹ מְחִתַּ֖ת דַּלִּ֣ים רֵישָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 10:15
- Proverbs 18:11The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own esteem.
- Job 31:24“If I have made gold my hope, Or said to fine gold, ‘You are my confidence’;
- Psalms 49:6Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches,
- Psalms 52:7“Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”
- Ecclesiastes 7:12For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.
- Jeremiah 9:23Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
- Mark 10:24And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!
- Luke 12:19And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’
- 1 Timothy 6:17Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
- Proverbs 14:20The poor man is hated even by his own neighbor, But the rich has many friends.
- Proverbs 19:7All the brothers of the poor hate him; How much more do his friends go far from him! He may pursue them with words, yet they abandon him.
- Proverbs 22:22Do not rob the poor because he is poor, Nor oppress the afflicted at the gate;
- Micah 2:1Woe to those who devise iniquity, And work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, Because it is in the power of their hand.
Commentaries on Proverbs 10:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15The rich man's wealth is his strong city - Behold a mystery in providence; there is not a rich man on earth but becomes such by means of the poor! Property comes from the labor of the poor, and the king himself is served of the field. How unjust, diabolically so, is it to despise or oppress those by whose labor all property is acquired! The destruction of the poor is their poverty - A man in abject poverty never arises out of this pit. They have no…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Destruction - That which crushes, throws into ruins. Wealth secures its possessors against many dangers; poverty exposes men to worse evils than itself, meanness, servility, and cowardice. Below the surface there lies, it may be, a grave irony against the rich; see Proverbs 18:11.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15Verse 15 This refers to the common mistakes both of rich and poor, as to their outward condition. Rich people's wealth exposes them to many dangers; while a poor man may live comfortably, if he is content, keeps a good conscience, and lives by faith.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15While wealth can protect against problems, it can also cause them (Proverbs 13:8) and give a false sense of security (Proverbs 18:10–11).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. Both by trusting in "uncertain riches" (1Ti 6:17), or by the evils of poverty (Pr 30:9), men, not fearing God, fall into dangers.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 10:15
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 10
- 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
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries