Proverbs 22:7 (KJV)

Passage

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

Proverbs 22:8 He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.

Proverbs 22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rich", "ruleth", "over", "poor", "borrower", "servant", and "lender". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "rich" and "ruleth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 6's "Train up a child in the way..." into verse 8's "He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity...", so "rich" and "ruleth" 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 "ruleth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.