Proverbs 22:22 (ASV)

Passage

Rob not the poor, because he is poor; Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:20 Have not I written unto thee excellent things Of counsels and knowledge,

Proverbs 22:21 To make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, That thou mayest carry back words of truth to them that send thee?

Proverbs 22:22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor; Neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

Proverbs 22:23 For Jehovah will plead their cause, And despoil of life those that despoil them.

Proverbs 22:24 Make no friendship with a man that is given to anger; And with a wrathful man thou shalt not go:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "poor", "neither", "oppress", "afflicted", and "gate". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "poor" and "neither", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "To make thee know the certainty of..." into verse 23's "For Jehovah will plead their cause And...", so "poor" and "neither" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "poor" and "neither" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.