PRO 13

Proverbs 13:8

WEB

The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, but the poor hear no threats.

BSB

Riches may ransom a man’s life, but a poor man hears no threat.

KJV

The ransom of a man’s life are his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke.

Matthew Henry

Verse 8

Proverbs 13:8

We are apt to judge of men's blessedness, at least in this world, by their wealth, and that they are more or less happy accordingly as they have more or less of this world's goods; but Solomon here shows what a gross mistake it is, that we may be reconciled to a poor condition, and may neither covet riches ourselves nor envy those that have abundance. 1. Those that are rich, if by some they are respected for their riches, yet, to balance that, by others they are envied and struck at, and brought in danger of their lives, which therefore they are forced to ransom with their riches. Slay us not, for we have treasures in the field, Jer 41:8. Under some tyrants, it has been crime enough to be rich; and how little is a man beholden to his wealth when it only serves to redeem that life which otherwise would not have been exposed! 2. Those that are poor, if by some, that should be their friends, they are despised and overlooked, yet, to balance that, they are also despised and overlooked by others that would be their enemies if they had any thing to lose: The poor hear not rebuke, are not censured, reproached, accused, nor brought into trouble, as the rich are; for nobody thinks it worth while to take notice of them. When the rich Jews were carried captives to Babylon the poor of the land were left, Kg2 25:12. Welcome nothing, once in seven years. Cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator - When a traveller is met by a robber he will rejoice at not having much property about him.

Cross-references: Jer 41:8 · 2Kgs 25:12

Hebrew interlinear

H3724

כֹּפֶרkôpher/ko'-fer/

n-m — cover, village, bitumen, henna plant, redemption-price

Derivation: from 3722;

properly, a cover, i.e. (literally) a village (as covered in); (specifically) bitumen (as used for coating), and the henna plant (as used for dyeing); figuratively, a redemption-price

KJV: bribe, camphire, pitch, ransom, satisfaction, sum of money, village.

כֹּ֫פֶר

n.m — pitch

כֹּ֫פֶר n.m. pitchGn 6:14 (P).

כֹּ֫פֶר

n.m — El Ḥenna

כֹּ֫פֶר n.m. name of a plant, El Ḥenna

כֹּפֶר

n.m — the price of a life

כֹּפֶר n.m. the price of a life, ransom

כֹּפֶר

n.[m.] — village

כֹּפֶר n.[m.] village;—only sg. cstr. 1 S 6:18

H5315

נֶפֶשׁnephesh/neh'-fesh/

n-f — breathing creature, animal, vitality

Derivation: from 5314;

properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)

KJV: any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (× in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, slay, soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, × would have it.

נֶ֫פֶשׁ

n.f — soul

נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion

1. = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being

2. The נפשׁ becomes a living being

3. The נפשׁ is specif.

4. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself

5. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)

6. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions

7. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts

8. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.

9. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.

10. נ׳ in D

H376

אִישׁʼîysh/eesh/

n-m — man

Derivation: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant);

a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)

KJV: also, another, any (man), a certain, champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), none, one, people, person, steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare 802.

אִישׁ

n.m — man

אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)

H6239

עֹשֶׁרʻôsher/o'-sher/

n-m — wealth

Derivation: from 6238;

wealth

KJV: × far (richer), riches.

עֹ֫שֶׁר

riches

עֹ֫שֶׁר riches

H7326

רוּשׁrûwsh/roosh/

v — be destitute

Derivation: a primitive root;

to be destitute

KJV: lack, needy, (make self) poor (man).

רוּשׁ

vb — be in want

[רוּשׁ or רִישׁ] 24 vb. be in want, poor

Qal young lions are in want and hunger

Hithpō‛lēl one impoverishing himself

H3808

לֹאlôʼ/lo/

adv — not, no

Derivation: or לוֹא; or לֹה; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

KJV: × before, or else, ere, except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, surely, as truly as, of a truth, verily, for want, whether, without.

לֹא

adv — not

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

H8085

שָׁמַעshâmaʻ/shaw-mah'/

v — hear, tell

Derivation: a primitive root;

to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)

KJV: × attentively, call (gather) together, × carefully, × certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, × diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), × indeed, listen, make (a) noise, (be) obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclaim(-ation), publish, regard, report, shew (forth), (make a) sound, × surely, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness.

שָׁמַע

vb — hear

שָׁמַע 1152 vb. hear

Qal 1052

1. subj. pers. hum.

2. י׳ (God) subj.

Niph. 42

1. be heard, of voice, sound

2. be heard of

3. be regarded, obeyed

4. = (favourable) hearing was granted to their voice.

Pi. he caused the people to hear

Hiph. 63

1. of man

2. י׳ subj.

H1606

גְּעָרָהgᵉʻârâh/gheh-aw-raw'/

n-f — chiding

Derivation: from 1605;

a chiding

KJV: rebuke(-ing), reproof.

גְּעָרָה

n.f — rebuke

גְּעָרָה n.f. rebuke

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