Proverbs 18:23 — Word Study
WLCתַּחֲנוּנִ֥ים יְדַבֶּר־ רָ֑שׁ וְ֝עָשִׁ֗יר יַעֲנֶ֥ה עַזּֽוֹת׃
BSAThe poor manrûwsh [destitute, lacking resources] ◂pleads for mercytachănûwn [with supplications, using earnest prayers, compassion, kindness] ◂but the rich manʻâshîyr [wealthy, noble] answersʻânâh▸ [responds, replies] harshlyʻaz [roughly, with fierce things]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| תַּחֲנוּנִ֥ים | supplications | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| יְדַבֶּר־ | he speaks | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| רָ֑שׁ | a poor [person] | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| וְ֝עָשִׁ֗יר | and a rich [person] | Conjunction |
| יַעֲנֶ֥ה | he answers | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| עַזּֽוֹת׃ | strong [words] | Adj |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly. |
| KJV | The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly. |
| ASV | The poor useth entreaties; But the rich answereth roughly. |
| YLT | [With] supplications doth the poor speak, And the rich answereth fierce things. |
| WEB | The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly. |
| BBE | The poor man makes requests for grace, but the man of wealth gives a rough answer. |
The translations agree on the essence of the verse, emphasizing the contrast between the poor man's plea and the rich man's harsh response.
The verse consists of two main clauses that present contrasting actions, highlighting the differences in communication styles based on social status.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectרוּשׁ
verbדָבַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 18:23
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Power of Wordsgenerated
Proverbs 18:23 illustrates the contrasting approaches of the poor and the rich in their communication. The poor man, who is destitute and lacking resources, seeks mercy through heartfelt supplications, while the rich man responds with strong and harsh words. This verse highlights the dynamics of social status and the impact of words in relationships, fitting within a larger context about the power of the tongue, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruth 2:7 | She 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.” |
| 2 | 1 Samuel 2:36 | And 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.”’” |
| 3 | 2 Kings 4:1–2 | Now 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!” |
| 4 | Isaiah 66:2 | Has 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. |
| 5 | Matthew 5:3 | “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — תַּחֲנוּנִ֥ים, ta.cha.nu.Nimgenerated
The word תַּחֲנוּן (tachanuwn) is a masculine plural noun that refers to earnest prayers or supplications. It expresses a heartfelt plea for kindness or mercy, often directed toward God or man. The root of this word conveys the idea of pleading or entreating, emphasizing the deep desire for help or favor.
In this verse, the poor man's plea for mercy is depicted through this word, showing his vulnerability and need. It underscores the significance of humility and the earnestness of his request, contrasting sharply with the response of the rich man.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
The translations generally agree on the rendering of the verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main clauses, each featuring a subject and a verb. The first clause centers around the poor man, רָ֑שׁ (Rash), who תַּחֲנוּנִ֥ים (pleads) for mercy, while the second clause introduces the rich man, עָשִׁ֗יר (ve.'a.Shir), who יַעֲנֶ֥ה (answers) harshly.
This structure emphasizes the contrast between the two characters and their responses, illustrating the broader theme of the power of words in interpersonal relations.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 18:23 shows a contrast between a poor man who pleads for mercy and a rich man who responds harshly. The poor man seeks kindness through earnest prayers, while the rich man answers with strong words, highlighting the different ways people communicate based on their social status.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The poor man's plea signifies his vulnerability and need for compassion, indicating a heartfelt request for kindness.
The rich man's harsh response reflects a lack of empathy and understanding, showcasing a disparity in how individuals from different social standings communicate.
This verse teaches that the way we speak can greatly affect others, and that humility and kindness in communication are essential.
The distinction highlights the social dynamics at play, emphasizing how status can influence behavior and communication styles.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I show kindness and compassion in my interactions with others, especially those in need?
- How can I be more mindful of my words and their impact on those around me?
- What lessons can I draw from the contrast between the poor man's plea and the rich man's response?
- How does this verse challenge my understanding of wealth and humility in communication?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse reflects on the humility of the poor man and the pride of the rich man, emphasizing the importance of sincere communication.
With supplications a poor man speaks, etc. The humble in spirit humbly worship the Lord, like the publican in the Gospel; the proud boast of their merits, like the Pharisee.Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 18 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 18:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThe poor useth entreaties,.... Or "supplications" (a); he is an humble supplicant to others for favours he asks in a submissive and lowly manner; he does not demand anything, nor prescribe what shall
Read John Gill on Proverbs 18 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThe poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly. The poor useth entreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 18 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleUseth entreaties; humbly begs the favour of rich men, as his necessities and occasions require it. Answereth roughly; speaketh proudly and scornfully, either to the poor, or to others that converse with him, being puffed up with a conceit of his riches, and of his self-sufficiency.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 18 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 18:23 The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.Ver. 23. The poor useth entreaties.] Speaks supplications; comes in a submissive manner; uses a low language, as a broken man. How much more should we do so to God? Quanta cum reverentia, quanto timore, quanta ad Deum humilitate aecedere debet e palude sua procedens et repens vilis ranuncula, creeping into his presence with utmost humility and reverence. Bernard.
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 18 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(23) The rich answereth roughly.—A warning against the hardening effect of riches. (Comp. Mark 10:23.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Proverbs 18 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleNote the paradox. The poor man, of whom one might expect roughness, supplicates; the rich, well nurtured, from whom one might look for courtesy, answers harshly and brusquely.
Read Albert Barnes on Proverbs 18 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible23. The poor useth entreaties — The verse may be regarded as stating a fact without any justification of the latter part of the statement. Compare Proverbs 14:21; Proverbs 17:5.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 18 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly.
The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.
The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly.
A poor person makes supplications, but a rich man answers harshly.
Tyndale line
The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.
The poor useth entreaties; But the rich answereth roughly.
The poor useth entreaties: but the rich answereth roughly.
The poor useth entreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.
The poore speaketh with prayers: but the rich answereth roughly.
Strictly literal
He that is poor speaketh with supplications, but the rich answereth roughly.
[With] supplications doth the poor speak, And the rich answereth fierce things.
The poor speaks [with] supplications, || And the rich answers fierce things.
The poor speaketh entreatingly; but the rich answereth roughly.
A poor person pleads for mercy, but a rich person answers harshly.
From the Latin
The poor will speak with supplications, and the rich will speak roughly.
Simplified
The poor beg for mercy, but the rich reply harshly.
The poor man makes requests for grace, but the man of wealth gives a rough answer.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, "תַּחֲנוּנִ֥ים יְדַבֶּר־ רָ֑שׁ וְ֝עָשִׁ֗יר יַעֲנֶ֥ה עַזּֽוֹת׃" which translates to, "The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in terms of the words used, with a complete match in all six words, although the word order may differ. There are no significant differences in meaning between these texts in this verse, indicating a strong consistency across these ancient witnesses.
תַּחֲנוּנִ֥ים יְדַבֶּר־ רָ֑שׁ וְ֝עָשִׁ֗יר יַעֲנֶ֥ה עַזּֽוֹת׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 18:23
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
תַּחֲנוּן (tachanuwn) refers to a form of earnest prayer or supplication, specifically a request for favor, either to man or to God. It is derived from a root meaning to plead or entreat, and is noted as a masculine noun used in the plural abstract form.
[תַּחֲנוּן] n.[m.] only pl.abstr. supplication for favour
base
H8469 תַּחֲנוּן supplication for favour
8469 tachanuwn takh-an-oon'
or (feminine) tachanuwnah {takh-an-oo-naw'}; from 2603;
earnest prayer:--intreaty, supplication.
see HEBREW for 02603
תַּחֲנוּן (ta.cha.nun) — supplication.
1) supplication, supplication for favour
1a) to man
1b) to God
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
דָבַר (dabar) is a Hebrew verb primarily meaning 'to speak.' It encompasses a range of actions including declaring, commanding, and conversing. The root suggests a figurative use of words, with some entries noting a rare destructive sense of subduing. Various forms of the verb indicate different nuances, such as speaking with one another or making promises.
[דָבַר] 1142 vb. speak (original mng. dub.)
Qal speak
Niph. reciprocal sense, speak with one another, talk
Pi. speak
Pu. in the day when she may be spoken for
Hithp. speaking this word
Hiph. either leads subject, or puts to flight, fig. for subdues
base
H1696 דָבַר speak (original mng. dub.)
1696 dabar daw-bar'
a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used
figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive
sense) to subdue:--answer, appoint, bid, command, commune,
declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse,
say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think,
use (entreaties), utter, X well, X work.
דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: speak.
: speak/tell/command
1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing
1a) (Qal) to speak
1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to speak
1c2) to promise
1d) (Pual) to be spoken
1e) (Hithpael) to speak
1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight
דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: subdue.
: subdue
1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing
1a) (Qal) to speak
1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to speak
1c2) to promise
1d) (Pual) to be spoken
1e) (Hithpael) to speak
1f) (Hiphil) to lead away, put to flight
דָבַר (da.var) — to speak: promise.
: promise/declare
1) to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing
1a) (Qal) to speak
1b) (Niphal) to speak with one another, talk
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to speak
1c2) to promise
1d) (Pual) to be spoken
1e) (Hithpael) to speak
HVpi3ms — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine singularHVpi3ms
רוּשׁ (ruwsh) means to be poor or in want, covering the state of lacking resources or necessities. It can refer to a poor man or the action of impoverishing oneself, as noted in various forms like the Qal and Hithpolel. The entries indicate a focus on destitution and neediness.
[רוּשׁ or רִישׁ] 24 vb. be in want, poor
Qal young lions are in want and hunger
Hithpō‛lēl one impoverishing himself
base
H7326 [רוּשׁ or רִישׁ] be in want, poor
7326 ruwsh roosh
a primitive root; to be destitute:--lack, needy, (make self)
poor (man).
רוּשׁ (rush) — be poor.
1) to be poor, be in want, lack
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be poor
1a2) to be in want or hunger
1a3) poor man (subst)
1b)(Hithpolel) one impoverishing himself (participle)
V-Qal — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
עָשִׁיר (ashiyr) means 'rich' and can refer to wealth in both a literal and figurative sense. It is primarily used as a noun to denote a rich person or the wealthy. The word is derived from another Hebrew root, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage in specific verses.
עָשִׁיר rich; usu. n. m. the rich
base
H6223 עָשִׁיר rich; usu. n. m. the rich
6223 `ashiyr aw-sheer'
from 6238; rich, whether literal or figurative
(noble):--rich (man).
see HEBREW for 06238
עָשִׁיר (a.shir) — rich.
adj
1) rich, wealthy
n
2) the rich, the wealthy, rich man
Conj | Adj — ConjunctionHC/Aamsa
The Hebrew word עָנָה (*anah*) is built from a primitive root meaning to heed or pay attention, covering a range of meanings including to answer, respond, testify, and sing. It appears in contexts where one responds to speech or circumstances, and can also refer to singing. The lexicons indicate that it can imply both verbal responses and musical expression.
[עוּן] vb. dwell
base
עָנָה 316 vb. answer, respond
Qal
answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied
respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances
money meets all demands
specif. respond as a witness, testify
less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)
Niph.
make answer
be answered
Hiph. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart
base
עָנָה vb. sing
Qal sing, utter tunefully
Pi. sing sweetly of it
base
H6030a עוּן dwell H6030b עָנָה answer, respond .. answer, respond to sthg. said, actual or implied
. . respond to an occasion, speak in view of circumstances
. money meets all demands
. . specif. respond as a witness, testify
. less oft. make response as one accused (respondent)
. . make answer
. be answered
. wholly dub.; causes all things to respond in the joy of his heart
H6030c עָנָה sing
6030 `anah aw-naw'
a primitive root; properly, to eye or (generally) to heed,
i.e. pay attention; by implication, to respond; by extens. to
begin to speak; specifically to sing, shout, testify,
announce:--give account, afflict (by mistake for 6031),
(cause to, give) answer, bring low (by mistake for 6031), cry,
hear, Leannoth, lift up, say, X scholar, (give a) shout, sing
(together by course), speak, testify, utter, (bear) witness.
See also 1042, 1043.
see HEBREW for 06031
see HEBREW for 06031
see HEBREW for 01042
see HEBREW for 01043
עוּן (un) — to dwell.
(Qal) to dwell
עָנָה (a.nah) — to answer.
1) to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to answer, respond to
1a2) to testify, respond as a witness
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to make answer
1b2) to be answered, receive answer
Aramaic equivalent: a.nah (עֲנָה "to answer" H6032)
עָנָה (a.nah) — to sing.
(Qal) to sing, utter tunefully
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
The Hebrew word עַז (az) is built from the root associated with strength. It covers meanings such as strong, mighty, and fierce, indicating power and intensity. The entries consistently highlight its connotations of strength and harshness.
עַז adj. strong, mighty, fierce
base
H5794 עַז strong, mighty, fierce
5794 `az az
from 5810; strong, vehement, harsh:--fierce, + greedy,
mighty, power, roughly, strong.
see HEBREW for 05810
עַז (az) — strong.
strong, mighty, fierce
Adj — AdjHAafpa