24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
24 One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
24 There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty.
24 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
7 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.
7 One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
7 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
7 A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life.
7 There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.
7 Some who are poor pretend to be rich; others who are rich pretend to be poor.
(Read Proverbs 13:7)
Some who are really poor, trade and spend as if they were rich: this is sin, and will be shame, and it will end accordingly. Some that are really rich, would be thought to be poor: in this there is want of gratitude to God, want of justice and charity to others. There are many hypocrites, empty of grace, who will not be convinced of their poverty. There are many fearing Christians, who are spiritually rich, yet think themselves poor; by their doubts, and complaints, and griefs, they make themselves poor.
9 I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth,
9 I want you to be smart in the same way - but for what is right - using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you'll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior."
9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.
9 Here's the lesson: Use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. Then, when your earthly possessions are gone, they will welcome you to an eternal home.
(Read Luke 16:1-12)
Whatever we have, the property of it is God's; we have only the use of it, according to the direction of our great Lord, and for his honour. This steward wasted his lord's goods. And we are all liable to the same charge; we have not made due improvement of what God has trusted us with. The steward cannot deny it; he must make up his accounts, and be gone. This may teach us that death will come, and deprive us of the opportunities we now have. The steward will make friends of his lord's debtors or tenants, by striking off a considerable part of their debt to his lord. The lord referred to in this parable commended not the fraud, but the policy of the steward. In that respect alone is it so noticed. Worldly men, in the choice of their object, are foolish; but in their activity, and perseverance, they are often wiser than believers. The unjust steward is not set before us as an example in cheating his master, or to justify any dishonesty, but to point out the careful ways of worldly men. It would be well if the children of light would learn wisdom from the men of the world, and would as earnestly pursue their better object. The true riches signify spiritual blessings; and if a man spends upon himself, or hoards up what God has trusted to him, as to outward things, what evidence can he have, that he is an heir of God through Christ? The riches of this world are deceitful and uncertain. Let us be convinced that those are truly rich, and very rich, who are rich in faith, and rich toward God, rich in Christ, in the promises; let us then lay up our treasure in heaven, and expect our portion from thence.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Proverbs 11:24
Commentary on Proverbs 11:24
(Read Proverbs 11:24)
A man may grow poor by not paying just debts, not relieving the poor, not allowing needful expenses. Let men be ever so saving of what they have, if God appoints, it comes to nothing.