A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights a particularly brutal irony: when someone who has known poverty rises to power and then oppresses others who are still struggling, they become like a devastating flood. Instead of bringing relief or nourishment, their actions actively strip away any possibility of sustenance, leaving those beneath them utterly destitute.
A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This proverb comes from a section of Proverbs that contrasts the righteous with the wicked, often using vivid imagery to illustrate the consequences of their actions. It's situated after verses discussing the stability of a land ruled by the just versus the chaos under corrupt leaders, setting the stage for specific examples of injustice. This verse warns against a particular kind of oppressor: someone who, having likely experienced poverty themselves, now abuses their position to exploit those still in hardship, acting like a destructive force that brings ruin instead of relief.
Imagine someone who knows exactly what it's like to struggle, but uses that knowledge to inflict pain on others. This proverb hits hard with that very scenario.
This verse paints a picture of someone who has been poor themselves, knows the sting of hardship, but has risen to a position of power. Instead of showing compassion, they become the harshest oppressor. It's a tragic irony: their past suffering, which should foster empathy, instead hardens their heart. They become like a 'dry sponge' or an 'empty horseleech,' greedily taking what little others have, driven by their own insatiable need or a callous indifference learned from their own past pain. This isn't just unfair; it's a deep moral failing.
What happens when a 'rain' meant to nourish actually destroys? This proverb uses a vivid natural disaster to describe a spiritual one.
The imagery of 'a beating rain that leaves no food' is incredibly potent. In ancient Near Eastern climates, rain was vital for crops. Gentle, timely rain brought life and sustenance. But a violent, 'sweeping' rainstorm could wash away the seeds just planted, erode fertile soil, or destroy the harvest. It's a force that looks like it might help, but ultimately brings devastation and famine. This is the kind of 'help' or 'authority' that a poor oppressor brings to the poor. Instead of nurturing and providing, their actions strip away the very means of survival, leaving their victims with nothing.
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ashaq · Hebrew Verb
To treat others harshly or cruelly, especially those who are vulnerable or in a position of lesser power. It is a violation of the commandment to love one's neighbor.
This parable vividly illustrates the proverb's point: a forgiven debtor who then shows no mercy to someone who owes him much less is like a destructive storm, bringing ruin upon himself because he refused to extend the grace he received.
This passage condemns those who seize land and accumulate wealth by oppressing the poor, likening their actions to a devastating force that leaves nothing for the common people, mirroring the proverb's image of a fruitless rain.
Luke 6:34-35Jesus' teaching to 'lend, expecting nothing in return' directly contrasts with the oppressive poor man described in Proverbs, highlighting the divine expectation of generosity and mercy, especially from those who have been shown it.
James 2:13This verse serves as a stark reminder that judgment will be without mercy to those who have shown no mercy, echoing the proverb's warning that such oppressive behavior brings severe consequences, just as a destructive rain yields no harvest.
Amos 4:6-11The prophets describe a pattern of God sending plagues and famine upon Israel due to their oppression of the poor, illustrating how the nation's destructive actions, like a relentless storm, brought about a lack of sustenance and judgment.
pooleProverbs 28:3: "A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food."
When a poor man being advanced into a place of authority, abuseth it to oppress those that are poor and unable to resist him, he is like a violent rain or flood, which washeth away the very seeds which are in the earth, and spoileth the corn and fruits which are upon it. He is the worst of all oppressors, because as he is of a base mind, which also is made much worse by a sudden change and elevat…
jfbProverbs 28:3: "A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food."
- A poor man, &c.—Such, in power, exact more severely, and so leave subjects bare.
This verse highlights a particularly brutal irony: when someone who has known poverty rises to power and then oppresses others who are still struggling, they become like a devastating flood. Instead of bringing relief or nourishment, their actions actively strip away any possibility of sustenance, leaving those beneath them utterly destitute.
This proverb comes from a section of Proverbs that contrasts the righteous with the wicked, often using vivid imagery to illustrate the consequences of their actions. It's situated after verses discussing the stability of a land ruled by the just versus the chaos under corrupt leaders, setting the stage for specific examples of injustice. This verse warns against a particular kind of oppressor: someone who, having likely experienced poverty themselves, now abuses their position to exploit those still in hardship, acting like a destructive force that brings ruin instead of relief.
This proverb comes from a section of Proverbs that contrasts the righteous with the wicked, often using vivid imagery to illustrate the consequences of their actions. It's situated after verses discussing the stability of a land ruled by the just versus the chaos under corrupt leaders, setting the stage for specific examples of injustice. This verse warns against a particular kind of oppressor: someone who, having likely experienced poverty themselves, now abuses their position to exploit those still in hardship, acting like a destructive force that brings ruin instead of relief.
"A poor man who oppresses the poor is a beating rain that leaves no food." — This verse highlights a particularly brutal irony: when someone who has known poverty rises to power and then oppresses others who are still struggling, they become like a devastating flood. Instead…
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Last reviewed October 2026