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Proverbs 29:7 · World English Bible

Proverbs 29:7 Meaning The Righteous Care About Justice

The righteous care about justice for the poor. The wicked aren’t concerned about knowledge.

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What does Proverbs 29:7 mean?

To look with love upon the one who seems to lack is to see past his poverty to the wholeness the ego cannot perceive. The right-minded self considers the cause of the poor because it is willing to join, to stand where another stands and recognize a brother rather than a lesser figure.

From the Christian Psychology reading below.

Proverbs 29:7 through 1 lens

The same verse, read by one tradition.

CHRISTIAN PSYCHOLOGY

Christian Psychology

To look with love upon the one who seems to lack is to see past his poverty to the wholeness the ego cannot perceive. The right-minded self considers the cause of the poor because it is willing to join, to stand where another stands and recognize a brother rather than a lesser figure. This looking is itself the healing, for what is met with love is restored to its innocence.

The ego refuses even to know the poor, because to know is to draw near, and drawing near dissolves the distance separation depends on. A mind unwilling to look keeps its judgments intact, but a mind that considers finds there was never anyone truly poor to pity.

The poor: the brother the mind judges as weak or lacking, the one whom love draws near to and the ego refuses to know

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Live Proverbs 29:7 today

  1. Instead of scrolling past the story about someone struggling, read it all the way to the end, including their name and how they got there. Staying with it for two minutes is the whole thing.
  2. Ask someone you only ever exchange small talk with, the person at the front desk, the driver, the neighbour down the hall, one real question about their day, and then actually listen to the answer.
  3. When a request from a coworker who is clearly drowning lands in your inbox and your first reaction is irritation at their mess, pause and ask what their week probably looks like before you reply.

Who have I decided I already understand well enough that I never have to ask?

The same truth in other traditions

Buddhism · metta practice

Loving kindness is not pity sent down from above. It is practiced by wishing the same ease for the other person that you want for yourself, which only works if you grant them equal standing.

Sufism

The poor at your door are treated as guests sent to you, not as a lower class to be managed. Service offered without condescension is counted as worship.

Judaism · Talmud

Giving a coin to someone in need brings blessing, and comforting them with words brings more. The giver who knows the person's name gives something larger than money.

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