Proverbs 22:16 (DRB)

Passage

He that oppresseth the poor, to increase his own riches, shall himself give to one that is richer, and shall be in need.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:14 The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit: he whom the Lord is angry with, shall fall into it.

Proverbs 22:15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, and the rod of correction shall drive it away.

Proverbs 22:16 He that oppresseth the poor, to increase his own riches, shall himself give to one that is richer, and shall be in need.

Proverbs 22:17 Incline thy ear, and hear the words of the wise: and apply thy heart to my doctrine:

Proverbs 22:18 Which shall be beautiful for thee, if thou keep it in thy bowels, and it shall flow in thy lips:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "oppresseth", "poor", "increase", "riches", "shall", "himself", "give", and "richer". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "oppresseth" and "poor", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Folly is bound up in the heart..." into verse 17's "Incline thy ear and hear the words...", so "oppresseth" 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 "oppresseth" and "poor" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.