Old Testament · Wisdom

Proverbs 22

A Good Name

A good name is more desirable than great riches. Train up a child in the way he should go. Proverbs that have shaped civilizations.

King James Version BSB KJV

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1A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

2The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

3A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

4By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

5Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

6Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

7The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

8He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

9He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

10Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

11He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

12The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

13The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

14The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

15Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

16He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

17Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

18For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.

19That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

20Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

21That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

22Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

23For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

24Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

25Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

26Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.

27If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

28Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

29Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Understand This

Proverbs 22, explained

What Proverbs 22 is saying

The chapter opens with the famous proverb 'Train up a child in the way he should go,' followed by observations on reputation, diligence, and social dynamics. The section beginning at verse 17 introduces the 'Words of the Wise,' a distinct collection with notable parallels to the Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope.

The background behind it

The literary dependence of Proverbs 22:17–24:22 on the Instruction of Amenemope (ca. 1200 BC) is widely recognized in scholarship. This does not diminish its inspired status but shows how biblical wisdom engaged with and transformed surrounding cultural traditions.

Themes running underneath

A good name is more valuable than wealth—reputation built on character outlasts financial accumulation. The training of children is presented as directional: set them on the right path early, and it shapes their trajectory permanently. The 'Words of the Wise' shift to more extended admonitions.

Why it still matters

The child-rearing proverb carries both promise and responsibility. It affirms that intentional formation matters while acknowledging that each child has a unique 'way' that parents must discern and nurture.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.