Proverbs 22:2 (DRB)

Passage

The rich and poor have met one another: the Lord is the maker of them both.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:1 A good name is better than great riches: and good favour is above silver and gold.

Proverbs 22:2 The rich and poor have met one another: the Lord is the maker of them both.

Proverbs 22:3 The prudent man saw the evil, and hid himself: the simple passed on, and suffered loss.

Proverbs 22:4 The fruit of humility is the fear of the Lord, riches and glory and life.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rich", "poor", "another", "lord", "maker", and "both". 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 better than great..." into verse 3's "The prudent man saw 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.