Proverbs 19:4

Study note

Setting — The passage is a standalone proverb positioned between a statement on personal folly (19:3) and a warning against false testimony (19:5). It observes social dynamics without specifying a speaker or audience.

The words — הֹן (Hon) means "wealth" and יֹסִיף (Yo.sif) means "it adds," while דָּל (Dal) means "poor" and יִפָּרֵד (yi.pā.rēd) means "he is separated." The text literally reports that wealth adds many friends, but a poor man is separated from his friend.

The thread — This observation parallels Proverbs 14:20 regarding the poor being hated and the rich being loved, and Proverbs 19:6 notes that everyone becomes a friend of a gift giver. Job 19:13 similarly describes acquaintances abandoning a suffering individual.

Why it lands — The text first states a social reality before drawing a conclusion, asking the reader to recognize how economic status distorts relationships. It requires an honest assessment of friendship that does not rely on material provision.

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.