Proverbs 18:11 (DRB)

Passage

The substance of the rich man is the city of his strength, and as a strong wall compassing him about.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:9 He that is loose and slack in his work, is the brother of him that wasteth his own works.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the just runneth to it, and shall be exalted.

Proverbs 18:11 The substance of the rich man is the city of his strength, and as a strong wall compassing him about.

Proverbs 18:12 Before destruction, the heart of a man is exalted: and before he be glorified, it is humbled.

Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth before he heareth, sheweth himself to be a fool, and worthy of confusion.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "substance", "rich", "city", "strength", "strong", "wall", and "compassing". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "substance" and "rich", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "The name of the Lord is a..." into verse 12's "Before destruction the heart of a man...", so "substance" and "rich" 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 "substance" and "rich" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.