Proverbs 21:13 · Bible study
Proverbs 21:13 Commentary: Shutting the Ear to the Poor
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
An in-depth study of Proverbs 21:13: the Hebrew verb for 'stops,' the cry of the poor, the principle of measure-for-measure, and pastoral implications.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Neglecting the poor leads to being unheard when you yourself cry for help.
- Key words: אֹטֵם (shuts), דָּל (poor/weak), יֵעָנֶה (will be answered).
- Main debate: Is it an absolute decree or a general principle? Commentators agree it's a principle of retributive justice.
- Theological theme: God identifies with the poor; mercy and justice are intertwined.
- Best use: A sobering call to compassion and a reminder that our actions have spiritual consequences.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too shall cry out and receive no answer.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.
KJV King James Version 1769
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, He also shall cry, but shall not be heard.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Whoso is shutting his ear from the cry of the poor, He also doth cry, and is not answered.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also himself shall cry, and shall not be heard.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He that stoppeth his ear against the cry of the poor, shall also cry himself, and shall not be heard.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El que cierra su oído al clamor del pobre, también él clamará, y no será oído.
Quem tapa seu ouvido ao clamor do pobre, ele também clamará, mas não será ouvido.
Celui qui ferme son oreille au cri du pauvre
Wer seine Ohren verstopft vor dem Schreien des Armen, der wird auch rufen, und nicht erhört werden.
Die zijn oor stopt voor het geschrei des armen, die zal ook roepen, en niet verhoord worden.
Chi chiude l’orecchio al grido del povero, griderà anch’egli, e non gli sarà risposto.
Kto zatula ucho swe na wołanie ubogiego, i on sam będzie wołał, a nie będzie wysłuchany.
Кто затыкает ухо свое от вопля бедного, тот и сам будет вопить, - и не будет услышан.
塞 耳 不聽窮人 哀求的，他 將來呼籲 也 不 蒙應允。
He whose ears are stopped at the cry of the poor, will himself get no answer to his cry for help.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 21:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
All supplied commentators agree on the core meaning: the one who deliberately ignores the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be heard. Clarke, Gill, Henry, and Keil & Delitzsch treat it as a wisdom principle of retributive justice, what you measure out is measured back to you. The Hebrew participle אֹטֵם ('one who shuts') indicates a settled habit of refusing to hear. The word דָּל (dal) means the weak and needy, those without resources. Gill explicitly connects the verse to Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:7 and James 2:13, and Henry ties it to the rich man and Lazarus. The commentators see this not as a mechanical curse but as a warning about how God governs human affairs: mercy withheld invites a corresponding absence of mercy. The Targum adds 'unto God' for the cry, underscoring that the ultimate hearer is God. All concur that the verse calls readers to compassion and warns against indifference.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse warns that a lack of mercy toward the poor will result in a lack of mercy when the unmerciful person is in distress—a principle consistent with Jesus' teaching on forgiveness and judgment (Matthew 5:7, James 2:13).
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'stopping the ears' | All commentators see it as a deliberate, active refusal to hear or help the poor. | None; the phrase is uniformly understood as a metaphor for withholding mercy. |
| Nature of the retribution | The verse teaches that neglect of the poor results in being unheard when in distress, a principle of measure-for-measure. | Some emphasize temporal consequences (human rejection), while others include eternal judgment (the rich man in hell). |
| Who is the 'poor'? | The word דָּל (dal) refers to the weak and needy, often lacking material support. | Whether the principle applies only within the covenant community or to all people. The context of Proverbs is Israel, but commentators apply it universally. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Proverbs 21:13 sits within a collection of wisdom sayings that address daily life in ancient Israel. The 'cry of the poor' (זַעֲקַת־דָּל) carries legal overtones: in Hebrew, זְעָקָה (ze'aqah) often refers to the outcry of someone seeking justice or rescue (see Nehemiah 5:1, Exodus 22:23). The poor person (דַּל) was someone without economic or social power, often landless, dependent on the generosity of the community. Ancient Israel was a covenant society where caring for the vulnerable was a divine command (Deuteronomy 15:7-11). To 'stop the ears' (אָטַם) is a vivid metaphor for refusal: the person deliberately blocks out the sound of need. The preposition מִן after אָטַם carries a sense of 'so that one does not hear,' as Keil & Delitzsch note, a willful deafness.
The wisdom of Proverbs presents a moral order in which actions have consequences. This verse echoes the retributive pattern found throughout the book: the one who shows no mercy receives no mercy. The culture expected the wealthy and powerful to act as protectors of the poor. By ignoring the cry, a person breaks the covenant bond and sets in motion a reciprocal response. The 'cry' of the afflicted was believed to reach God directly (Exodus 22:23), so refusing to hear was ultimately a refusal to hear God's voice in the needy. The verse warns that such a person will experience the same isolation when they themselves are in distress.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentators (Clarke, Gill, Henry, Keil & Delitzsch) do not discuss textual variants for Proverbs 21:13. The Masoretic text is stable, with no significant manuscript differences. The Septuagint and Targum show minor variations (e.g., the Targum adds 'unto God' after 'cry'), but these do not alter the verse's essential meaning.
Reception History
This verse has been a touchstone in Christian ethics regarding the poor. Matthew Henry's famous exposition links it to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, seeing it as both a temporal and eternal warning. It was cited by the early church in instructions on almsgiving and hospitality. The Rule of St. Benedict includes a similar warning against turning away from the needy. In modern times, the verse has been used in liberation theology to argue for God's preferential option for the poor. Across traditions, it remains a pointed challenge to examine our hearts toward those in need.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The sin of indifference. Stopping the ears is not passive but active refusal. The Hebrew participle describes a habitual action, a lifestyle of ignoring the needy. The world 'dal' (poor) includes the weak and helpless.
- The inevitable consequence. The one who shuts his ears will himself cry, and be met with silence. This is not a vengeful God but the natural outworking of a heart hardened against mercy.
- The gospel echo. Christ heard the cry of the poor, our cry. He became poor so that through His poverty we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). In Him, the cycle of judgment is broken; mercy triumphs.
Five-point outline
- The identity of the poor. Dal, the low, the vulnerable, the one who cannot repay.
- The nature of the cry. Ze'aqah, a distress call that reaches God's ears.
- The act of shutting. Not just ignoring, but actively blocking out the sound.
- The certainty of reversal. 'He also shall cry', the same measure returns.
- The hope of repentance. This principle is a warning, not a final verdict. The gospel offers forgiveness and a new heart.
Illustration hooks
- The Good Samaritan: the priest and Levite crossed to the other side, stopping their ears to the wounded man's need.
- The rich man and Lazarus: a life of ignoring the beggar at the gate, then crying from torment and receiving no answer.
- Everyday scenario: you see a homeless person and pretend not to hear their request, or you scroll past a fundraiser for refugees because it feels overwhelming.
Questions your congregation is asking
- 'Does this mean God won't hear my prayers if I've ever ignored a poor person?', No, but it is a window into how seriously God takes our treatment of the vulnerable. The answer is repentance, not despair.
- 'How do I balance helping the poor with wisdom? Some requests seem manipulative.', Proverbs itself commends discernment. The call is to a compassionate heart, not a naive wallet. You can listen well even when you cannot give.
- 'What if I have helped the poor but still feel unheard by God?', This verse is not a simplistic equation. Sometimes God's silence is for our growth. Examine the heart, but also trust that Christ intercedes for us.
Leading a Discussion
Proverbs 21:13 forces us to connect our treatment of the poor with our own spiritual lives. It is not a promise of doom but a wisdom principle designed to shake us into compassion. As you discuss, remember that the gospel offers both a warning and a way out: Christ became poor for us.
Discussion questions
- What does it mean to 'stop one's ears'? Describe a modern version of this action.
- Why does the verse use the word 'cry' (ze'aqah) rather than just 'request'?
- How does this verse relate to Jesus' teaching in the Beatitudes and the parable of the sheep and goats?
- What are some ways we subtly silence the cries of the poor in our daily lives?
- How does the gospel address our failure to show mercy? Where does hope enter?
- What practical step could this group take to 'hear the cry of the poor' in your community?
- How does this verse change the way you pray for yourself and for others?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 15:7 | If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; |
| Deuteronomy 15:11 | For the poor will never cease out of the land. Therefore I command you to surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land. |
| Nehemiah 5:1 | Then there arose a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brothers the Jews. |
| Nehemiah 5:5 | Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children as their children. Behold, we bring our sons and our daughters into bondage to be servants, and some of our daughters have been brought into bondage. It is also not in our power to help it, because other men have our fields and our vineyards.” |
| Nehemiah 5:13 | Also I shook out my lap, and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that doesn’t perform this promise; even may he be shaken out and emptied like this.” All the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised Yahweh. The people did according to this promise. |
| Psalms 18:41 | They cried, but there was no one to save; even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them. |
| Psalms 58:4 | Their poison is like the poison of a snake, like a deaf cobra that stops its ear, |
| Proverbs 1:28 | Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that ignoring the cries of the poor leads to God ignoring one’s own prayers. He believes the example of the priest and Levite shows this truth clearly.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights a strict moral symmetry: ignoring the poor’s cry guarantees that God will ignore your own cry in need. It is not a general proverb about kindness, but a warning that deliberate neglect brings a corresponding, deserved silence from heaven.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that refusing to hear a poor person's cry is the same as refusing to help even if you hear. The same treatment will return: a person who shows no mercy will find no mercy from God or others, receiving the same measure they gave.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Some read Proverbs 21:13 as describing God’s punishment for evil. Others understand it as pointing to spiritual consequences. Christians have understood this passage to mean both meanings exist.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight the principle of reciprocity: the one who shuts his ears to the poor's cry will himself go unheard when he calls on God in need. They also note the Hebrew preposition in the phrase carries a fuller meaning, indicating a deliberate closing off from the cry.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that this verse makes a strikingly bold claim, especially for its time, by declaring that ethical conduct matters more to God than ritual sacrifice. He sees it as a direct link between Solomon's wisdom, David's penitent spirit, and the later prophets who called for mercy over mere ceremony.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws a strict parallel between how we treat the poor and how God will treat us. Stopping our ears to their cry amounts to shutting up compassion entirely, and the same measure will be used against us: our own cry for mercy will be ignored, both by people and by God, who hears the poor's cry against us.