Proverbs 13:7

There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.
– Proverbs 13:7

This proverb seems ambiguous. It is a wisdom observation and doesn’t immediately make a value judgment. One way to take it is as an ironic statement. Some people have great wealth but really have nothing and are poor because wealth is all they have. Some have no wealth but are truly rich because of all they do have in terms of people and relationships. The moral in this case would be that money is not everything. Another way to take it, and the way that seems most natural, is as a character observation. Men are not always what they seem to be. Some pretend to be rich and they are not. Others pretend to be poor and they are not. Wisdom then will look beyond superficial appearances.

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