Proverbs 22:22 (KJV)

Passage

Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,

Proverbs 22:21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

Proverbs 22:22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:

Proverbs 22:23 For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

Proverbs 22:24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "poor", "neither", "oppress", "afflicted", and "gate". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "poor" and "neither", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "That I might make thee know the..." into verse 23's "For the LORD will plead their cause...", so "poor" and "neither" 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 "poor" and "neither" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.