Proverbs - 21:13



13 Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.

Verse In-Depth

Explanation and meaning of Proverbs 21:13.

Differing Translations

Compare verses for better understanding.
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, He also shall cry, but shall not be heard.
He that stoppeth his ear against the cry of the poor, shall also cry himself and shall not be heard.
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also himself shall cry, and shall not be heard.
Whoever stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
Whoso is shutting his ear from the cry of the poor, He also doth cry, and is not answered.
Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
He whose ears are stopped at the cry of the poor, will himself get no answer to his cry for help.
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, He also shall cry himself, but shall not be answered.
Whoever blocks his ears to the outcry of the poor shall also cry out himself, and he will not be heeded.

*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.


Historical Commentaries

Scholarly Analysis and Interpretation.

Whoso stoppeth his ears - See the conduct of the priest and Levite to the man who fell among thieves; and let every man learn from this, that he who shuts his ear against the cry of the poor, shall have the ear of God shut against his cry. The words are quite plain; there is no difficulty here.

Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,.... For want of bread; or, "of the weak", as the Septuagint and other versions; for want of help and protection, when in the greatest distress; and, with the most pressing importunity, entreats his assistance, and yet refuses to hear him out: or, if he does, will not relieve him, which is all one as if he heard him not, or denied him a hearing;
he also shall cry himself; the Targum and Syriac version add, "unto God". The sense is, that even such an one shall be brought into the like distressed circumstances, when he shall make application to God, and to his fellow creatures, for relief and assistance:
but shall not be heard; a deaf ear will be turned to him by both: the same measure he has measured shall be measured to him again; no mercy shall be shown to an unmerciful man, either by God or man; see James 2:13.

Such as oppress the poor by beating down wages, such as will not relieve according to their ability those in distress, and those in authority who neglect to do justice, stop their ears at the cry of the poor. But doubtless care is to be used in the exercise of charity.

The principles of retribution, often taught (compare Psalm 18:26; Matthew 7:1-12).

13 He that stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor
he also calls and is not heard.
Only the merciful find mercy, Matthew 5:7; the unmerciful rich man, who has no ear for the cry of the דל, i.e., of him who is without support and means of subsistence, thus of one who is needing support, will also remain unheard when he himself, in the time of need, calls upon God for help. Cf. the parable of the unmerciful servant of the merciful king, Matthew 18:23. מן in מזּעקת, as Isaiah 23:15; Genesis 4:13; Genesis 27:1; no preposition of our [German] language [nor English] expresses, as Fleischer here remarks, such a fulness of meaning as this מן does, to which, after a verb of shutting up such as אטם (cf. Proverbs 17:28), the Arab. 'n would correspond, e.g., â'my 'n âltryḳ: blind, so that he does not see the way.

*More commentary available at chapter level.


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