Bible Strands
Proverbs 29:13
The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The wisdom writer addresses rulers and the community within a collection of proverbial contrasts regarding leadership and justice. The verse is positioned between a warning about corrupt officials and a promise regarding a stable throne.
The words — תְּכָכִים (te.kha.Khim) denotes oppressions, and נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ (nif.Ga.shu) literally means they meet or encounter one another. The text states that the poor man and the oppressor share this common meeting, and that the LORD gives light to the eyes of both.
The thread — This pattern of shared human condition appears in Proverbs 22:2 regarding the Maker of all, Matthew 5:45 on God giving sun and rain to both the evil and the good, and Psalms 13:3 where light to the eyes signifies divine attention rather than death.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that God’s sovereignty covers all social strata, requiring readers to abandon class-based contempt and align their judgments with the fairness commanded in the surrounding context.
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 poor and the deceitful man meet together: the Lord lighteneth both their eyes.
Cross-references
- Matthew 5:45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
- Proverbs 22:2 The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is Maker of them all.
- Psalms 13:3 Consider me and respond, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death,
- Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
- Exodus 22:25 If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.
- Leviticus 25:35 Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you.
- Nehemiah 5:5 We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
- Matthew 9:9 As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.
- 1 Corinthians 6:10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.