Proverbs 28:20

A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
– Proverbs 28:20

This saying continues the the theme of rewards for diligence and the condemnation of greed. The word for faithful means steadfast, stable, reliable. Contextually, it refers to honest and diligent work. The rewards are multiplied blessings. Read in the context of wisdom sayings and inferred from the meaning of faithful, the rewards come over time so that patience in implicit in the first phrase as well.

The contrasting phrase contains an irony by speaking of the haste to be rich. The saying doesn’t contrast the diligent with the slothful, though many sayings do just that. The saying contrasts faithful work over time with a hurry to get rich. The former will be rewarded and the latter will be punished, for that is the indication of not be innocent. This saying accords with the general tenor of wisdom (Proverbs 13:11, 22-23; 20:21; 21:5, 25).

About Jeff Short

Comments are closed.