◄ Proverbs 22:23 ►
for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.
Study Bible
for the LORD
The term "LORD" in this context is derived from the Hebrew name "Yahweh," which signifies the covenantal God of Israel. This name emphasizes God's eternal presence, faithfulness, and unchanging nature. In the historical context of ancient Israel, Yahweh was seen as the ultimate authority and protector of His people. The invocation of the LORD here underscores His role as a divine judge and advocate for justice, reminding believers of His omnipotence and moral governance over the world.

will take up their case
The phrase "will take up their case" suggests a legal advocacy, where God acts as a defender or attorney for those who are wronged. The Hebrew root word "rib" often refers to a legal dispute or contention. In the ancient Near Eastern context, this reflects the societal structure where the vulnerable, such as widows and orphans, often lacked representation. This assurance that God Himself will intervene on behalf of the oppressed is a powerful reminder of His justice and care for the marginalized, encouraging believers to trust in His righteous judgment.

and will plunder
The word "plunder" conveys a sense of divine retribution and justice. In Hebrew, the root "bazaz" means to seize or take spoil. This term is often used in the context of warfare, where victors would take the possessions of the defeated. Here, it illustrates God's active role in reversing injustices, ensuring that those who exploit others will face consequences. This serves as a warning to oppressors and a comfort to the oppressed, affirming that God will restore balance and justice.

those who rob them
"Those who rob them" refers to individuals who exploit or take advantage of others, particularly the vulnerable. The Hebrew word "gazal" means to seize or take by force, indicating an act of violence or oppression. In the biblical context, this highlights the moral and ethical standards expected of God's people, where exploitation is condemned. The verse serves as a reminder of the divine mandate to protect and uphold the rights of the disadvantaged, reinforcing the biblical principle of loving one's neighbor and acting justly.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD
The central figure in this verse, representing God as the ultimate judge and defender of the oppressed.

2. The Oppressed
Implicit in the verse, these are the individuals who are wronged or robbed, whom the LORD promises to defend.

3. The Robbers
Those who commit acts of injustice or theft against the oppressed, whom the LORD will hold accountable.
Teaching Points
God as the Ultimate Defender
Trust in God's justice, knowing He will defend those who are wronged.

Call to Righteousness
Believers are called to emulate God's justice by standing up for the oppressed and acting righteously.

Warning Against Injustice
A reminder that those who commit injustice will face divine retribution.

Faith in Divine Justice
Encourages patience and faith, trusting that God will address wrongs in His timing.

Active Participation in Justice
While God is the ultimate judge, believers are encouraged to actively participate in promoting justice and righteousness in their communities.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God as a defender of the oppressed influence your view of justice in today's world?

2. In what ways can you actively participate in defending the oppressed in your community?

3. How does the promise of divine justice in Proverbs 22:23 provide comfort in situations of personal injustice?

4. What are some practical steps you can take to ensure you are not complicit in acts of injustice?

5. How do the additional scriptures connected to Proverbs 22:23 deepen your understanding of God's character and His expectations for His followers?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 12:5
This verse echoes the theme of God rising to protect the oppressed and needy, affirming His role as a defender.

Isaiah 1:17
Encourages believers to seek justice and defend the oppressed, aligning with the LORD's actions in Proverbs 22:23.

James 5:4
Warns against the exploitation of workers, highlighting God's awareness and response to injustice.

Exodus 22:22-24
Provides a legal framework in the Mosaic Law for protecting the vulnerable, showing God's consistent concern for justice.
Sermons
Right in Social RelationsE. Johnson Proverbs 22:22-29
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Case, Cause, Despoil, Goods, Plead, Pleadeth, Plunder, Rob, Soul, Spoil, Spoiled, Spoilers, Support
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 22:23

     5310   exploitation

Proverbs 22:22-23

     5270   court
     5360   justice, God
     5499   reward, divine

Library
The Rich and the Poor
Chapel Royal, Whitehall, 1871. Proverbs xxii. 2. "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all." I have been asked to preach here this afternoon on behalf of the Parochial Mission Women's Fund. I may best describe the object for which I plead, as an attempt to civilise and Christianise the women of the lower classes in the poorer districts of London and other great towns, by means of women of their own class--women, who have gone through the same struggles as they have, …
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

One Lion Two Lions no Lion at All
A sermon (No. 1670) delivered on Thursday Evening, June 8th, 1882, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets."--Proverbs 22:13. "The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets."--Proverbs 26:13. This slothful man seems to cherish that one dread of his about the lions, as if it were his favorite aversion and he felt it to be too much trouble to invent another excuse. …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

The Formation of Habits.
School Sermon. Proverbs xxii. 6. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." INTRODUCTION.--There is a district, high up in the Black Forest, where the ground is full of springs. It is a plain some nine hundred feet above the sea. Thousands upon thousands of little springs gush out of the soil; you seem to be on the rose of a vast watering-can. Now, from this great source flow a good many rivers, and they flow in very different, nay, opposite directions. …
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent

The Christian Business World
Scripture references: Proverbs 22:29; Romans 12:11; Psalms 24:1; 50:10-12; Haggai 2:8; Psalm 49:6,10,16,17; 62:10; Matthew 13:22; Mark 10:23,24; Job 31:24-26; Proverbs 3:9; Matthew 25:14-30; 24:45-51; 6:19-21; Luke 12:16-21. THE IDEAL IN THE BUSINESS WORLD There is often a wide difference between the methods actually employed in doing business and when they should be. Good men who are in the thick of the battle of competition and rivalry with other firms in the same line of trade, are the quickest …
Henry T. Sell—Studies in the Life of the Christian

Philip and the Emperor
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.--Prov. xxii. 29. Kallias stayed a fortnight under the hospitable roof of Olympias, and during those days he had the pleasure of seeing how greatly his honest and genial simplicity brightened the thoughts both of his hostess and of his friend. The general outline of his own future seemed now to be approximately settled. Like Philip, he had acquired an incurable disgust for Constantinople, with …
Frederic William Farrar—Gathering Clouds: A Tale of the Days of St. Chrysostom

He Accuses Abaelard for Preferring his Own Opinions and Even Fancies to the Unanimous Consent of the Fathers, Especially Where He Declares that Christ did Not
He accuses Abaelard for preferring his own opinions and even fancies to the unanimous consent of the Fathers, especially where he declares that Christ did not become incarnate in order to save man from the power of the devil. 11. I find in a book of his sentences, and also in an exposition of his of the Epistle to the Romans, that this rash inquirer into the Divine Majesty attacks the mystery of our Redemption. He admits in the very beginning of his disputation that there has never been but one conclusion …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Baptismal Covenant Can be Kept Unbroken. Aim and Responsibility of Parents.
We have gone "to the Law and to the Testimony" to find out what the nature and benefits of Baptism are. We have gathered out of the Word all the principal passages bearing on this subject. We have grouped them together, and studied them side by side. We have noticed that their sense is uniform, clear, and strong. Unless we are willing to throw aside all sound principles of interpretation, we can extract from the words of inspiration only one meaning, and that is that the baptized child is, by virtue …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. "
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God's sight! How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a pure mass of light and …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

We Shall not be Curious in the Ranking of the Duties in which Christian Love...
We shall not be curious in the ranking of the duties in which Christian love should exercise itself. All the commandments of the second table are but branches of it: they might be reduced all to the works of righteousness and of mercy. But truly these are interwoven through other. Though mercy uses to be restricted to the showing of compassion upon men in misery, yet there is a righteousness in that mercy, and there is mercy in the most part of the acts of righteousness, as in not judging rashly, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Proverbs 22:23 NIV
Proverbs 22:23 NLT
Proverbs 22:23 ESV
Proverbs 22:23 NASB
Proverbs 22:23 KJV

Proverbs 22:23 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Proverbs 22:22
Top of Page
Top of Page