The Meaning of Proverbs 19:7 Explained

Proverbs 19:7

KJV: All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.

YLT: All the brethren of the poor have hated him, Surely also his friends have been far from him, He is pursuing words -- they are not!

Darby: All the brethren of a poor man hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him: he pursueth them with words, they are not to be found.

ASV: All the brethren of the poor do hate him: How much more do his friends go far from him! He pursueth them with words, but they are gone.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

All the brethren  of the poor  do hate  him: how much more do his friends  go far  from him? he pursueth  [them with] words,  [yet] they [are] wanting [to him]. 

What does Proverbs 19:7 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The first part of this verse is hyperbole. The point is that people avoid the poor-their relatives do, and even more, their friends do. Even their own overtures of friendship are ineffective ( Proverbs 19:7 c).

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 19

1  Life and Conduct

What do the individual words in Proverbs 19:7 mean?

All the brothers of the poor hate him how much more how much more his friends do go far from him He may pursue [them] [with] words - him [yet] they [abandon]
כָּ֥ל אֲחֵי־ רָ֨שׁ ׀ שְֽׂנֵאֻ֗הוּ אַ֤ף כִּ֣י מְ֭רֵעֵהוּ רָחֲק֣וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ מְרַדֵּ֖ף אֲמָרִ֣ים [לא־] (לוֹ־) הֵֽמָּה

אֲחֵי־  the  brothers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
רָ֨שׁ ׀  of  the  poor 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רוּשׁ  
Sense: to be poor, be in want, lack.
שְֽׂנֵאֻ֗הוּ  hate  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׂנֵא  
Sense: to hate, be hateful.
אַ֤ף  how  much  more 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
כִּ֣י  how  much  more 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מְ֭רֵעֵהוּ  his  friends 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מֵרֵעַ  
Sense: companion, friend, confidential friend.
רָחֲק֣וּ  do  go  far 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: רָחַק  
Sense: to be or become far, be or become distant, be removed, go far away.
מִמֶּ֑נּוּ  from  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
מְרַדֵּ֖ף  He  may  pursue  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
אֲמָרִ֣ים  [with]  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֵמֶר 
Sense: utterance, speech, word, saying, promise, command.
[לא־]  - 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
הֵֽמָּה  [yet]  they  [abandon] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.