Proverbs 22:2 (KJV)

Passage

The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:1 A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Proverbs 22:2 The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

Proverbs 22:3 A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rich", "poor", "meet", "together", "lord", and "maker". 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 rather to be..." into verse 3's "A prudent man foreseeth 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.