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

PROVERBS 22:2KJV
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Proverbs 22:2 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 22:2 mean?

Proverbs 22:2 says that both rich and poor people come together in life, and that the LORD is the creator of everyone, no matter their wealth or status. The verse points out that all people share a common origin and value because God made them all.

This proverb is part of a collection of wise sayings traditionally attributed to Solomon, written to teach practical wisdom to everyday people. The verse addresses anyone reading or hearing these sayings, reminding them that social differences do not change the fact that every person is made by the LORD. In the ancient world, where wealth often divided people, this statement would have stood out as a call to see everyone as equal in their basic worth.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 22:2

  • "rich" (עָשִׁיר, ashir): This word refers to someone with wealth or abundance. Its use here highlights the social group often seen as powerful or privileged.
  • "poor" (רָשׁ, rash): This word describes those lacking material resources. Pairing it with "rich" emphasizes the full range of society.
  • "together" (פָּגַשׁ, pagash): This word means to meet or come together. The verse uses it to show that both groups cross paths in life, not living in completely separate worlds.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal name of Israel's God, stressing that the same God is responsible for everyone’s existence.
  • "maker" (עָשָׂה, asah): This word means to make or create. It underlines that God actively formed both the rich and the poor, not just in a distant or abstract way.

Why Proverbs 22:2 matters

  • Proverbs 22:2 corrects the idea that wealth or poverty makes someone more or less important in God's eyes, reminding readers that all people share the same Creator.
  • The verse encourages humility and respect across social lines, since everyone ultimately depends on the LORD for their existence.
  • In the context of Proverbs, this saying sets the stage for later teachings about justice, generosity, and how to treat others, especially those who are different from us.

Where else these words appear

“together” Hebrew H6298 · used in 14 verses

  • Genesis 32:17 And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?
  • 1 Samuel 25:20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.
  • Proverbs 17:12 Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

“rich” Hebrew H6223 · used in 23 verses

  • Exodus 30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
  • Psalms 49:2 Both low and high, rich and poor, together.
  • Proverbs 28:6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

“poor” Hebrew H7326 · used in 24 verses

  • 1 Samuel 18:23 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?
  • Proverbs 13:7 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.
  • Proverbs 19:22 The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.