Proverbs 22:2 (DBY)

Passage

The rich and poor meet together; Jehovah is the maker of them all.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:1 A [good] name is rather to be chosen than great riches; loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Proverbs 22:2 The rich and poor meet together; Jehovah is the maker of them all.

Proverbs 22:3 A prudent [man] seeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Proverbs 22:4 The reward of humility [and] the fear of Jehovah is riches, and honour, and life.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rich", "poor", "meet", "together", "jehovah", and "maker". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "rich" and "poor", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "A good name is rather to be..." into verse 3's "A prudent man seeth the evil and...", so "rich" and "poor" 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 "rich" and "poor" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.