Proverbs 13:8

Pro 13:8 The ransom of a man’s life [are] his riches: but the poor heareth not rebuke.

Ver. 8. The ransom of a man’s life are his riches.] They may help a man out at a dead lift, and get him a release out of captivity, or a lease of his life. "Slay us not," say they, {Jer 41:8} "for we have treasures in the field. So he forebore, and slew them not among their brethren." Some read it thus: ‘The price of a man’s life are his riches.’ It costs him his life that he is rich; as Naboth, and as many Turkish viziers. In the days of Caligula the tyrant, publicum crimen fuit divitem fuisse, {a} it was crime enough to be rich. And in the reign of Henry II of France, many were burned for religion, as was pretended; but indeed to satiate the covetousness of Diana Valentina, the king’s mistress, to whom he had given all the confiscations of goods made in the kingdom for cause of heresy. {b}

But the poor heareth not rebuke.] He escapes many times as not considerable, as not worth a chiding, as under law. In a tragedy there is no place for a poor man but only to dance, as Arian hath observed upon Epictetus.

{a} Dio. in Calig.

{b} Hist. of Council of Trent, 387.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro 13:8. The ransom of a man’s life are his riches — This verse is considered by some as setting forth the several advantages of riches and poverty. Riches enable a man to redeem his life when it is in the greatest danger, and poverty preserves a man from those rebukes and injuries which endanger, and oft destroy the rich. Others again consider it as showing the convenience of poverty above riches. Riches frequently expose men to the peril of losing their lives by false accusers, thieves, or tyrants, which they are forced to redeem with the loss of their riches; whereas poverty commonly secures men not only from such kinds of death, but even from rebukes and injuries; partly because the poor are cautions that they may not offend or provoke others; and partly because their persons and actions are neglected and slighted, and they are esteemed objects of pity. Bishop Patrick paraphrases the passage in the latter of these senses, thus: “Rich men are not always so happy as they are imagined; for their wealth sometimes only serves to make them accused of high crimes, and then to bring them off with a huge sum of money, which they pay to save their lives; but nobody is apt to find fault with the poor, or to bring any charge against them.” Dr. Waterland renders the latter clause, The poor heareth no disturbance.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13:8 Money can be a blessing or a curse (see 3:9-10; 21:6).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For his poverty, he is not able to escape the threatenings, which the cruel oppressors use against him.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

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.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Riches save some from punishment, while others suffer because they will not heed the rebuke of sloth, which makes and keeps them poor.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 8. The ransom of a man's life] Those who have riches have often much trouble with them; as they had much trouble to get them, so they have much trouble to keep them. In despotic countries, a rich man is often accused of some capital crime, and to save his life, though he may be quite innocent, is obliged to give up his riches; but the poor, in such countries, are put to no trouble.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(8) The ransom of a man’s life are his riches.—In times of trouble he may have to give them all to save his life. For the spiritual sense comp. Luk_16:9.

But the poor heareth not rebuke.—Or, threatening. (Comp. Job_3:18; Job_39:7.) He has no need to regard it; his poverty and insignificance are his protection.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. heareth] i.e. heedeth. Comp. Pro_13:1.

rebuke] Rather threatening; ἀπειλήν, LXX.

If wealth has its advantage in enabling its possessor to purchase deliverance from danger and death (as, for example, by paying a ransom to robbers, or a fine or bribe in a court of justice), so has poverty in conferring immunity from the perils by which the rich are threatened: cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The ransom of a man's life are his riches,.... As Benhadad's were to him, when he was in the hands of the king of Israel, Kg1 20:34; and as the treasures the ten men had in the field were to them, for the sake of which Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, slew them not, Jer 41:8. This is the advantage of riches when a man is taken captive in war, or by pirates, or is in the hands of thieves and robbers, he can redeem himself by his money; or when his life is in danger by diseases, he can procure healing medicines; or by famine, he can get food to preserve it, when a poor man cannot: but this is not to be done always, and is only to be understood of a temporal life; for, as to the spiritual and eternal redemption of the soul of man, that requires a greater ransom price than such corruptible things as silver and gold; nothing short of the precious blood of Christ is sufficient for that, Job 36:18. Moreover, these words may not so much design the convenience as the inconvenience of riches to men; since these often invite thieves to assault their persons, and break into their houses, and threaten their lives; and put wicked men upon forming schemes, and drawing up charges and accusations against them, purely to get their money; which bring their lives into danger, and which they can only redeem by their riches;

but the poor heareth not rebuke; no charge and accusation is brought against him; no rebuke or reproof is given him; no notice is taken of him, because nothing is to be got from him; he may sleep with his door unlocked, thieves will give him no disturbance; he may travel upon the road without being bid to stand (c). Jarchi interprets this of him that is poor in the law; that hearkens not to reproofs and admonitions, given him to depart from evil: but rather it may be applied to the poor in spirit; who trust not in themselves and their own righteousness, but in the grace of God and righteousness of Christ; who indeed hear the rebukes of good men, and take them kindly; and of bad men, and return not revilings for them; and also the rebukes of Providence, or the chastisements of their heavenly Father, yet they will never hear any rebuke in wrath from him here or hereafter; when the rich in their own conceit, who trust in their riches and righteousness, and think to ransom their souls from death by them, will have rebukes with flames of fire.

(c) "Cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator", Juvenal. Sat. 10. v. 23.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

On the one side is the seeming advantage of wealth. The rich man who gets out of many troubles often escapes from a just retribution by his money. But then the poor man in his turn is free from the risk of the threats and litigation that beset the rich. He “hears no rebuke” (the words are not used as in Pro 13:1) just as the dead “hear not the voice of the oppressor” Job 3:18 or the abuse of the envious.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Reprehension. Or is not able to defend himself, like the rich. (Calmet) --- He is not exposed so much to great revolutions. (Bayn.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

This verse sets forth, either,

1. The several advantages of riches and poverty. Riches enable a man to redeem his life when it is in greatest danger, and poverty preserves a man from those rebukes and injuries which endanger and oft destroy the rich. Or,

2. The convenience of poverty above riches. Riches frequently expose men to the peril of losing their lives by false accusers, or thieves, or tyrants, which they are forced to redeem with the loss of their riches; whereas poverty commonly secures men not only from such kinds of death, but even from rebukes and injuries; partly because such persons are cautious that they may not offend or provoke others; and partly because their persons and actions are neglected and slighted, and they are esteemed objects of pity.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8. Ransom… man’s life… riches — Under a crushing despotism wealth sometimes causes men to be accused of serious crimes in order to extort money from them. This is done, also, under other circumstances by private threats of accusation, or of giving publicity to crimes or pretended crimes, — “blackmailing.” in the East a man has often to purchase his life by a part or the whole of his wealth. The second clause is more obscure; the most probable meaning is, the poor is free from such risks — no such accusations are brought against him for purposes of extortion.

Rebuke — May be rendered restraint, distraint, or distress, as these terms are used in law. He hears nothing of it. “The traveller who has nothing can sing in the presence of the robber.” — Juvenal. Following the Septuagint: some render נערה, (ge’harah,) “rebuke,” by threatenings. (So French, Noyes, and Zockler.) It does not clearly appear that the Hebrew word ever has this sense. Some understand the verse thus: Riches frequently buy off a man from punishment or other evils, yet, notwithstanding this obvious advantage, the poor man will not listen to those who “rebuke” him for his faults, which are the cause of his poverty. Conant translates: “The ransom of a man’s soul is his wealth, and the poor hear not rebuke;” and comments thus: “The ransom of the soul — its redemption from the power of ignorance and sin — is the true riches; and poor is he who heeds not rebuke, since instructive reproofs (Pro_6:23) are the way of life.” Miller is to the same effect.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The ransom of a man"s life are his riches. A rich man can save himself from many difficulties and dangers by the sacrifice of a portion of his wealth, e.g. when his money or his life is demanded by a robber; when men in authority make extortionate demands on pain of death; or when he has incurred extreme penalty by infringement of law. (Exo_21:22, Exo_21:30) Spiritually discerned, the passage recalls Christ"s injunction, "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when it shall fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles". (Luk_16:9) The poor heareth not rebuke; has not to listen to (Job_3:18) threats from the covetous or abuse from the envious. He has nothing to lose, and no one can gain anything by interfering with him. So the poor man is at peace. "A hundred men cannot rob one pauper." "Cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Riches - Riches enable a man to redeem his life when it is in greatest danger, and poverty preserves a man from many injuries. Because they are cautious, that they may not provoke others; and because they are esteemed objects of pity.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

8 A ransom for a man's life are his riches;

But the poor heareth no threatening.

Bertheau falls into error when he understands גּערה of warning; the contrast points to threatening with the loss of life. The wealth of the rich before the judgment is not here to be thought of; for apart from this, that the Tor only in a single case permits, or rather ordains (Exo 21:29.), ransom from the punishment of death, and declares it in all other cases inadmissible, Num 35:31. (one might indeed think of an administration of justice not strictly in accordance with the Mosaic law, or altogether accessible to bribery), 8b does not accord therewith, since the poor in such cases would fare ill, because one would lay hold on his person. But one may think e.g., on waylayers as those introduced as speaking Pro 1:11-14. The poor has no room to fear that such will threateningly point their swords against his breast, for there is nothing to be got from him: he has nothing, one sees it in him and he is known as such. But the rich is a valuable prize for them, and he has to congratulate himself if he is permitted to escape with his life. Also in the times of war and commotion it may be seen that riches endanger the life of their possessor, and that in fortunate cases they are given as a ransom for his life, while his poverty places the poor man in safety. To לא שׁמע Hitzig fittingly compares Job 3:18; Job 39:7 : he does not hear, he has no need to hear. Michaelis, Umbreit, Lwenstein (who calls to remembrance the state of things under despotic governments, especially in the East) also explain 8b correctly; and Fleischer remarks: pauper minas hostiles non audit, i.e., non minatur ei hostis. Ewald's syntactic refinement: "Yet he became poor who never heard an accusation," presents a thought not in harmony with 8a.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The last Proverb rebuketh discontent with our lot, whether of riches or poverty. The wise man here strikes the balance between these two conditions. A man’s riches may be the ransom of his life. Extortion of money may prompt false accusation, and riches may be a ransom cheerfully paid.†1 Or they may be the price of deliverance from his enemies. They may save him from the punishment of the law (Exo 21:29-30 .) or from imminent danger of his life. (Jer 41:8 .) Yet if "money is a defense" (Ecc 7:12 ), so also is often want of money. If "the rich man’s wealth is a strong city" (Pro 10:15 ), the poor man’s poverty is often his safeguard. He is beneath notice. He hears not many a rebuke; he escapes many a danger, which is destruction to his richer neighbour. (2Ki 24:14 ; 2Ki 25:12 .) Had Isaac’s flocks been less numerous (Gen 26:13-14 ) or Jacob less prosperous (Gen 31:1 ), they would not have heard so much rebuke from their selfish enemies. The poor with his empty pocket travels with security. His cottage offers little temptation to the nightly robber. "A man’s life" therefore — his true happiness — "consisteth not in the abundance of things which he possesseth." (Luk 12:15 .)

His riches may be the ransom of his life. But "what shall he give in exchange for his soul?" (Mat 16:26 .) Too "precious" is it to be "redeemed with corruptible silver and gold." (1Pe 1:18 .) So far as he is concerned, "it ceaseth for ever." (Psa 49:8 .) Praised be the LORD! when all the treasures of earth would have been beggared in the ransom, the riches of heaven were freely poured out. (1Pe 1:19 . Heb 10:5-8 .) The blood of the Son of God was the acceptable price. The voice was heard from heaven — "Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom." (Job 33:24 .)

Footnotes:

†1 See Job 2:4 . The Apostle refused to avail himself of this ransom. Act 24:26 . ’The primitive Christians quoted this proverb in defense of their occasional habit of giving money to restrain the fury of their persecutors.’ — Geier in loco.

Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

v. 8. The ransom of a man’s life, that with which he may buy immunity for himself and possibly even save his life, are his riches; but the poor heareth not rebuke, that is, no warning or threatening will have any effect in his case, because he has nothing to give up to the robber or blackmailer.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The ransom of a man’s soul is his wealth A man’s wealth is the ransom of his soul, for he performed charity with it.

as long as the poor man has not heard a rebuke As long as he does not let the poor man hear a rebuke, i.e., he gives to him and does not embarrass him. Another explanation: The ransom of a man’s soul is his wealth His Torah.

but a poor man in the words of Torah, did not hear a rebuke He does not know to turn away from evil, since he is not cautious. The Midrash Aggadah interprets it as speaking of the half-shekel, which Scripture levied on all Israel and made the poor and the rich equal in that respect—so that the poor does not hear a rebuke from the rich, saying to him, “My share is greater than your share in the public sacrifices.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.