Poverty often speaks from need, while wealth can tempt people toward roughness and hardness of heart.
Social realities are observed again in Proverbs 18:23: The poor man utters supplications, But the rich man answers roughly (v. 23). Solomon is not endorsing this pattern, but describing a common feature of fallen human interaction.
The poor man often utters supplications because his vulnerability leaves him in a position of asking, pleading, or depending. Poverty can shape tone, access, and how others respond to a person.
The rich man, by contrast, answers roughly, reflecting how power and abundance can harden the heart. Wealth can tempt a person toward impatience, superiority, or lack of compassion. The proverb exposes this social imbalance so that the wise may see it clearly and resist becoming part of it.
Set to dark mode
Proverbs 18:23 meaning
Social realities are observed again in Proverbs 18:23: The poor man utters supplications, But the rich man answers roughly (v. 23). Solomon is not endorsing this pattern, but describing a common feature of fallen human interaction.
The poor man often utters supplications because his vulnerability leaves him in a position of asking, pleading, or depending. Poverty can shape tone, access, and how others respond to a person.
The rich man, by contrast, answers roughly, reflecting how power and abundance can harden the heart. Wealth can tempt a person toward impatience, superiority, or lack of compassion. The proverb exposes this social imbalance so that the wise may see it clearly and resist becoming part of it.