Proverbs 19:22
New International Version
What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.

New Living Translation
Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest.

English Standard Version
What is desired in a man is steadfast love, and a poor man is better than a liar.

Berean Standard Bible
The desire of a man is loving devotion; better to be poor than a liar.

King James Bible
The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.

New King James Version
What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar.

New American Standard Bible
What is desirable in a person is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor person than a liar.

NASB 1995
What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.

NASB 1977
What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.

Legacy Standard Bible
What is desirable in a man is his lovingkindness, And better is a poor man than a man of falsehood.

Amplified Bible
That which is desirable in a man is his loyalty and unfailing love, But it is better to be a poor man than a [wealthy] liar.

Christian Standard Bible
What is desirable in a person is his fidelity; better to be a poor person than a liar.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
What is desirable in a man is his fidelity; better to be a poor man than a liar.

American Standard Version
That which maketh a man to be desired is his kindness; And a poor man is better than a liar.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The desire of a man is his favor, and the poor man is better than a rich man who lies.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Mercy is a fruit to a man: and a poor man is better than a rich liar.

Contemporary English Version
What matters most is loyalty. It's better to be poor than to be a liar.

Douay-Rheims Bible
A needy man is merciful: and better is the poor than the lying man.

English Revised Version
The desire of a man is the measure of his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Loyalty is desirable in a person, and it is better to be poor than a liar.

Good News Translation
It is a disgrace to be greedy; poor people are better off than liars.

International Standard Version
Human beings long for grace, and it's better to be poor than a man of deceit.

JPS Tanakh 1917
The lust of a man is his shame; And a poor man is better than a liar.

Literal Standard Version
The desirableness of a man [is] his kindness, | And the poor [is] better than a liar.

Majority Standard Bible
The desire of a man is loving devotion; better to be poor than a liar.

New American Bible
What is desired of a person is fidelity; rather be poor than a liar.

NET Bible
What is desirable for a person is to show loyal love, and a poor person is better than a liar.

New Revised Standard Version
What is desirable in a person is loyalty, and it is better to be poor than a liar.

New Heart English Bible
That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar.

Webster's Bible Translation
The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.

World English Bible
That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar.

Young's Literal Translation
The desirableness of a man is his kindness, And better is the poor than a liar.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Man of Integrity
21Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail. 22The desire of a man is loving devotion; better to be poor than a liar. 23The fear of the LORD leads to life, that one may rest content, without visitation from harm.…

Cross References
Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man's heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.

Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the LORD leads to life, that one may rest content, without visitation from harm.


Treasury of Scripture

The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.

desire

1 Chronicles 29:2,3,17
Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistering stones, and of divers colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance…

2 Chronicles 6:8
But the LORD said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:

Mark 12:41-44
And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much…

and

Proverbs 19:1
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Job 6:15
My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;

Job 17:5
He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

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Proverbs 19
1. Life and Conduct














(22) The desire of a man is his kindness--i.e., what makes a man desired or beloved is his kindness. Or, the kindness of a man consists in--is shewn by--his good-will, even though he cannot carry it out.

And a poor man (who would do a kindness if he could) is better than a liar.--Than a rich man who could help another, but professes to be unable to do so.

Verse 22. - The desire of a man is his kind. nose. The Revised Version rather paraphrases the clause, The desire of a man is the measure of his kindness; i.e. the wish and intention to do good is that which gives its real value to an act. The word for "kindness" is chesed, "mercy;" and, looking to the context, we see the meaning of the maxim to be that a poor man's desire of aiding a distressed neighbour, even if he is unable to carry out his intention, is taken for the act of mercy. "The desire of a man" may signify a man's desirableness, that which makes him to be desired or loved; this is found in his liberality. But the former explanation is most suitable. Septuagint, "Mercifulness is a gain unto a man," which is like ver. 17; Vulgate, Homo indigens misericors est, taking a man's desire as evidenceing his need and poverty, and introducing the idea that the experience of misery conduces to pity, as says Dido (Virgil, 'AEn.,' 1:630) -

"Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco." A poor man is better than a liar. A poor man who gives to one in distress his sympathy and good wishes, even if he can afford no substantial aid, is better than a rich man who promises much and does nothing, or who falsely professes that he is unable to help (comp. Proverbs 3:27, 28). Septuagint, "A poor righteous man is better than a rich liar." A Buddhist maxim says, "Like a beautiful flower, full of colours, but without scent, are the fine but fruitless words of him who does not act accordingly" (Max Muller).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The desire
תַּאֲוַ֣ת (ta·’ă·waṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 8378: A longing, a delight

of a man
אָדָ֣ם (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

is loving devotion;
חַסְדּ֑וֹ (ḥas·dōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2617: Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty

better
וְטֽוֹב־ (wə·ṭō·wḇ-)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

to be poor
רָ֝שׁ (rāš)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7326: To be in want or poor

than
מֵאִ֥ישׁ (mê·’îš)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

a liar.
כָּזָֽב׃ (kā·zāḇ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3577: A lie, falsehood, deceptive thing


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 19:22 That which makes a man to be (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 19:21
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