Proverbs 18:23 (GNV)

Passage

The poore speaketh with prayers: but the rich answereth roughly.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of ye tongue, and they that loue it, shall eate the fruite thereof.

Proverbs 18:22 He that findeth a wife, findeth a good thing, and receiueth fauour of the Lord.

Proverbs 18:23 The poore speaketh with prayers: but the rich answereth roughly.

Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends, ought to shew him selfe friendly: for a friend is neerer then a brother.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "poore", "speaketh", "prayers", "rich", "answereth", and "roughly". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "poore" and "speaketh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "He that findeth a wife findeth a..." into verse 24's "A man that hath friends ought to...", so "poore" and "speaketh" 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 "poore" and "speaketh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.