New Living Translation
Proverbs 19:17
17If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you!
Proverbs 19:17 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
- New International Version (NIV)Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
- New King James Version (NKJV)He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given.
Context of Proverbs 19:17
15Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry. 16Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death. If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord— and he will repay you! 18Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives. 19Hot-tempered people must pay the penalty. If you rescue them once, you will have to do it again.
Read all of Proverbs 19Proverbs 19:17 word by word
מַלְוֵ֣ה יְ֭הוָה ח֣וֹנֵֽן דָּ֑ל וּ֝גְמֻל֗וֹ יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 19:17
- Proverbs 14:21It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor; blessed are those who help the poor.
- Proverbs 28:8Income from charging high interest rates will end up in the pocket of someone who is kind to the poor.
- 2 Samuel 12:6He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”
- Ecclesiastes 11:1Send your grain across the seas, and in time, profits will flow back to you.
- Proverbs 11:24Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
- Proverbs 28:27Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to poverty will be cursed.
- Deuteronomy 15:7“But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them.
- Isaiah 58:7Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
- Matthew 10:41If you receive a prophet as one who speaks for God, you will be given the same reward as a prophet. And if you receive righteous people because of their righteousness, you will be given a reward like theirs.
- Matthew 25:40“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
- 2 Corinthians 9:6Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.
- Philippians 4:17I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.
- Hebrews 6:10For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.
Commentaries on Proverbs 19:17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Lendeth unto the Lord - O what a word is this! God makes himself debtor for every thing that is given to the poor! Who would not advance much upon such credit? God will pay it again. And in no case has he ever forfeited his word.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Note the original greatness of the thought. We give to the poor. Have we lost our gift? No, what we gave, we have lent to One who will repay with usury. Compare the yet nobler truth of our Lord‘s teaching Matthew 25:40.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17Verse 17 God has chosen the poor of this world, to be rich in faith, and heirs of his kingdom.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. (Compare Pr 14:21; Psa 37:26). hath pity--shown by acts (compare Margin).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 19:17
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 19
- 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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries