Proverbs 10:15-16 The rich man’s wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty. The labour of the righteous tends to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin. 

‘Wealth is his strong city.’ Literally, wealth is the city of his strength. Psalms 49:6-7 warns that those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches have no power to redeem someone. Trusting and boasting in riches is a fool’s confidence and it soon vanishes.

God gives power to get wealth, so it is not sinful in itself. It is the misuse of wealth – its use contrary to God’s will – that constitutes sin.

God sanctions wealth and riches for the righteous man (Ps. 112:3). How foolish to condemn riches and class rich men as wicked just because of their prosperity. Wealth is a blessing if used as God intended. It was God’s original plan that all men be prosperous and use all things in creation for their own good and God’s glory. It is still God’s purpose, and when the Messiah reigns every man will sit under his own vine and fig tree, which indicates there will be universal peace and prosperity (Isa. 2:2-4; 65:20-25; Mic. 4:1-8).

‘Destruction of the poor is their poverty.’ A poor man lives in destruction. Poor is the Hebrew word dal and means weak. “Poverty” is the Hebrew word reysh meaning want or need. Poverty and shame come to him that rejects correction, but honour to him that profits by his mistakes (13:18). Poverty also comes to those who love sleep more than they should because it makes you lazy (20:13). Be alert and diligent in business and you will prosper.

Poverty shall come over those who: reject correction (13:18); to those who are lazy (20:13); to drunks and gluttons (23:21); those who follow after vain persons (28:19) and he that is in a hurry to be rich (28:22).  

The prayer of the wise (30:8-9): Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. 

‘The labour of the righteous tends to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.’ The righteous labour to support life, but the wicked live to produce sin. They live to satisfy their appetites.