Proverbs 14:21 | DiscipleDeck

Bible Commentary

Proverbs 14:21

The language is direct and should not be softened: despising your neighbour is explicitly called sin. And the person who shows mercy to the poor is called happy — the same word used in the Beatitudes. Compassion is not optional; it is obedience, and it carries blessing.

Memory phrase: Show mercy. Be happy.

Talk about it: What does it mean to despise someone, and why is that sin?

Prayer: God, give me a heart full of mercy.

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More for Proverbs 14:21

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Proverbs 14 — OverviewProverbs 14 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleWisdom and Folly.Proverbs 14 — OverviewProverbs 14 · Little Bible — for children and parentsProverbs 14 is a collection of sharp contrasts between the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked. It covers the home, the heart, the tongue, the poor, the king, and the nation — showing that wisdom and…Proverbs 14:1-35Proverbs 14:1-35 · The Pulpit CommentaryEXPOSITION Proverbs 14:20-27Proverbs 14:20-27 · The Pulpit CommentaryCauses and effects To grasp this principle—there is nothing causeless and unaccountable in life—and to apply it is one of the main principles of wisdom. Let us note some of its applications— I. TO SOCIAL RELATIONS.…Proverbs 14:21Proverbs 14:21 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleSee here how men's character and condition are measured and judged of by their conduct towards their poor neighbours. 1. Those that look upon them with contempt have here assigned them a bad character, and their…Proverbs 14:21Proverbs 14:21 · The Pulpit CommentaryHe that despiseth his neighbour sinneth. Taken in connection with the preceding verse, this teaches that it is a sin to despise and shun a man because he is poor or of low estate; such a one has a claim for love and…

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