Proverbs 22:16 (GNV)

Passage

Hee that oppresseth the poore to increase him selfe, and giueth vnto the riche, shall surely come to pouertie.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:14 The mouth of strage women is as a deepe pit: he with whom the Lord is angry, shall fall therein.

Proverbs 22:15 Foolishnesse is bounde in the heart of a childe: but the rodde of correction shall driue it away from him.

Proverbs 22:16 Hee that oppresseth the poore to increase him selfe, and giueth vnto the riche, shall surely come to pouertie.

Proverbs 22:17 Incline thine eare, and heare the wordes of the wise, and apply thine heart vnto my knowledge.

Proverbs 22:18 For it shalbe pleasant, if thou keepe them in thy bellie, and if they be directed together in thy lippes.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "oppresseth", "poore", "increase", "selfe", "giueth", "vnto", "riche", and "shall". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "oppresseth" and "poore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Foolishnesse is bounde in the heart of..." into verse 17's "Incline thine eare and heare the wordes...", so "oppresseth" and "poore" 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 "poore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.