Proverbs 19: Wealth & Friends

Read the Bible in 2023 ◊ Week 34: Thursday

Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor man is separated from his friend.

Proverbs 19:4 LSB

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Thursday’s Bible reading of Proverbs 19 is in the third section of Proverbs: “The first book of Solomon.”¹

Proverbs has a great deal to say about work and money, and it also speaks on friendship. Chapter 19 contains some proverbs about the way money (and the lack of it) can impact relationships. Charles Bridges in his classic work on Proverbs had this to say about Proverbs 19:4:

“We have had the substance of this proverb before. [14:20] It is nominally true, that wealth maketh many friends. But generally they are little worth. ‘Riches have them’—says Bishop Hall—‘not the man.’ The principle is selfishness—no earnest for true and permanent friendship. Few among them will be found “loving us at all times, brethren born for adversity.” [17:17] …But what, if the Lord’s poor be separated from his selfish neighbor? [19:7] There is one that “knoweth his soul in adversity,” [Ps. 31:7] and that hath pledged his word—“I will never leave thee, not forsake thee.” [Heb. 13:5] Yes! this is the joy, the stay of his confidence—“I am poor and needy; but the Lord thinketh on me.” [Ps. 40:17] Poverty may separate him from his neighbor. But who or what shall separate him from his God? [Rom. 8:38–39].”²

Proverbs 19 also states:

Many will seek the favor of a noble man,
And everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
All the brothers of a poor man hate him;
How much more do his friends distance themselves from him!
He pursues them with words, but they are no more.

Proverbs 19:6–7 LSB

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Bridges comments on these two verses:

“The fourth verse is here further opened with too accurate a description of man’s native selfishness. ‘A prince never wants suitors for his favor.’ Every one loves, or professes to love, those from whom they expect a benefit; “having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage;” [Jude 16] valuing them for their possessions, not for their virtues. Yet if “riches make to themselves wings, and flee away,” [23:5] will not they take their flight with them? If the same person, now fawned on for his gifts, were by Providence brought to poverty, the same friends would hate or neglect him. ‘Which of them’—asks Bishop Hall—‘would dare acknowledge him, when he is going to prison?’ The friends of the poor go from him, and if he pursueth them with words, yet they are deaf to his entreaties for help and sympathy. Job found these “summer” friends a great aggravation to his affliction…

“But how ought we to entreat the favor of our Prince! What gifts does he give to his beloved people! And shall not they exhibit his rule of mercy to their poorer brethren, [Gal. 4:10. Hebrews 4:10] specially to his poor—the princes and heirs of his kingdom? [Ps. 43: 7–8. James 2:5] As a spiritual writer pleads [Swinnock, Christian’s Man Calling Part ii. 338.]—‘Lord! in my greatest plenty, help me to mind and feel others’ poverty; and in my most prosperous condition keep me from forgetting the afflictions of thy Joseph.’”³

I really like Swinnock’s prayer; it’s especially important in today’s economy.

“Lord! in my greatest plenty, help me to mind and feel others’ poverty; and in my most prosperous condition keep me from forgetting the afflictions of thy Joseph.”

The impact of wealth on relationships is not only a problem for the church today, but James’ words indicate there has always been a struggle not to evaluate people the way the world does.

My brothers, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in bright clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the bright clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

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Listen, my beloved brothers: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and they themselves drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the good name by which you have been called?

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If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.

James 2:1–9 LSB

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In the United States the great markers of worth are prosperity and level of education. Churches and Christians too often pick up on these values and use them as an indication of spiritual depth and maturity. Bridges quotes Bishop Hall as saying, “Riches have them, not the man.” Neither prosperity or education should ‘have’ us, but genuine love for each other and a wise understanding of the true riches of Christ.

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For a brief overview of the main divisions of Proverbs see my post, The Book of Proverbs.
Silvesterzug Laterne: Bk muc. (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Gold and Silver Coins: https://augustagoldira.org/. (CC BY-SA 4.0).
¹A. F. Walls, “Proverbs,” The New Bible Commentary: Revised, D. Guthrie, J. A. Motyer, eds., A. M. Stibbs, D. J. Wiseman, contributing eds., p. 550.
^2,3Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs, (Robert Carter and Brothers, New York: 1865) 261, 262. Retrieved 25 August 2011. Wikipedia quotes Spurgeon as saying Bridges exposition of Proverbs was, “The best work on the Proverbs.”

I’m using Michael Coley’s Bible reading plan (one page PDF to print) to read through the Bible in 2023. Each day my posts are on different books because he divides Bible readings into seven categories, one for each day of the week: Epistles, The Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy and Gospels. There’s more information on his plan and other ones at Read the Bible in 2023.