Proverbs 29:7

5 A man who ^aflatters his neighbor
Spreads a net for his feet.

6 By transgression an evil man is snared,
But the righteous sings and rejoices.

7 The righteous ^aconsiders the cause of the poor,
But the wicked does not understand such knowledge.

8 Scoffers ^aset a city aflame,
But wise men turn away wrath.

9 If a wise man contends with a foolish man,
^aWhether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.

10 ^aThe bloodthirsty hate the blameless,
But the upright seek his¹ well-being.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Proverbs 29:7 Mean?

Proverbs 29:7

The righteous person not only sees the need, but he also thinks about it and works to solve the difficulty. However, notice the contrast here. A wicked person, lacking that missing dimension of God's love, cannot even comprehend the process. He does not know why it is necessary. He cannot figure it out why it even matters.

He lacks the ingredient—the missing dimension of God's love—to see that there is any difference between thinking about the poors' plight or not. It is as simple as that. He reckons that it is good enough just to throw money at the problem or offer a stopgap measure. The righteous, though, considers the cause of the poor; he thinks it all the way through.

The dividing point in this particular verse between the righteous and the wicked is the thought process—what goes on inside their heads.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
"If I Have Not Charity"

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