Bible Strands
Proverbs 19:22
The desire of a man is loving devotion; better to be poor than a liar.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The book of Proverbs addresses a general audience with practical instruction, positioned between a statement on human plans yielding to divine purpose and a warning about the fear of the Lord.
The words — חַסְדּוֹ (chas.D/o) translates literally as “his loyalty,” while כָּזָב (ka.Zav) means “falsehood,” grounding the verse’s contrast in relational faithfulness versus deceit.
The thread — This emphasis on willing devotion appears in 2 Chronicles 6:8 and Mark 14:6, where eagerness is accepted, and in 2 Corinthians 8:12, which notes that a gift is acceptable according to what one possesses.
Why it lands — The text demands the reader prioritize loyal character over material wealth and reject deceit, establishing that moral integrity outweighs economic status.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.
Cross-references
- 2 Corinthians 8:12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
- 2 Chronicles 6:8 But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you have done well to have this in your heart.
- Mark 14:6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone; why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful deed to Me.
- Mark 12:41 As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts.
- Proverbs 19:1 Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse.
- 2 Corinthians 8:2 In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.
- Titus 1:2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
- 1 Chronicles 29:2 Now with all my ability I have made provision for the house of my God—gold for the gold articles, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and slabs of marble—all in abundance.
- 1 Chronicles 29:17 I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You.
- Job 6:15 But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow,