Proverbs 18:23
BSB · Public Domain (CC0)“The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly.”
What this verse means
A short, plain-language explanation of Proverbs 18:23 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.
Compare translations
BSBPD
“The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly.”
Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)KJVPD
“The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.”
King James Version · Public DomainASVPD
“The poor useth entreaties; But the rich answereth roughly.”
American Standard Version · Public DomainYLTPD
“<FI> With<Fi> supplications doth the poor speak, And the rich answereth fierce things.”
Young's Literal Translation · Public DomainCross references
Other passages that echo Proverbs 18:23 — 15 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Genesis 42:7And when Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he treated them as strangers and spoke harshly to them. “Where have you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied. “We are here to buy food.”
- Genesis 42:30“The man who is lord of the land spoke harshly to us and accused us of spying on the country.
- Exodus 5:2But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”
- Ruth 2:7She has said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the harvesters.’ So she came out and has continued from morning until now, except that she rested a short time in the shelter.”
- 1 Samuel 2:36And everyone left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a morsel of bread, pleading, “Please appoint me to some priestly office so that I can eat a piece of bread.”’”
- 1 Samuel 25:10But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.
- 1 Samuel 25:17Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”
- 2 Kings 4:1Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD. And now his creditor is coming to take my two children as his slaves!”
- Job 41:3Will he beg you for mercy or speak to you softly?
- Proverbs 22:7The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.
- Isaiah 66:2Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.
- Matthew 5:3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- James 1:9The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
- James 2:3If you lavish attention on the man in fine clothes and say, “Here is a seat of honor,” but say to the poor man, “You must stand” or “Sit at my feet,”
- James 2:6But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).
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