Proverbs 22:2 (WEB)

Passage

The rich and the poor have this in common: Yahweh is the maker of them all.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.

Proverbs 22:2 The rich and the poor have this in common: Yahweh is the maker of them all.

Proverbs 22:3 A prudent man sees danger, and hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

Proverbs 22:4 The result of humility and the fear of Yahweh is wealth, honor, and life.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "rich", "poor", "common", "yahweh", 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 more desirable than..." into verse 3's "A prudent man sees danger and hides...", 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.