Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Proverbs 28:20

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Proverbs 28:20. He that maketh haste to be rich — See Proverbs 13:11; Proverbs 20:21.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Selfish ambition (28:1-28)

A bad conscience makes a person a coward, but a clear conscience gives a person courage (28:1). Some characteristics of a corrupt society are instability in the government, exploitation of fellow citizens (even among the poorer classes), lawlessness, reversal of moral standards, injustice and greed. In spite of this, some will always remain true to God (2-7).
Even those who are religious may be guilty of exploiting the poor and misleading the upright, but their religious exercises will not help them escape God’s judgment. Those who are poor yet godly see this truth and believe that one day they will prosper, whereas their oppressors will suffer (8-12). Hidden sins and a hardened conscience alike bring God’s judgment (13-14).
Although an individual may suffer a lifetime for causing the death of another, a whole nation may suffer because of the fury and ignorance of a despotic ruler (15-17). Those who live and work honestly need not fear the future (18-19), but those who are greedy will in the end be driven into poverty. Some are so greedy they can be bribed even by a piece of bread (20-22)!
No one should neglect these warnings, for a sincere rebuke is better than flattery (23). In their greed for riches, people at times cheat their parents, stir up trouble, become self-centred, neglect the poor and ignore injustice. But those who live only for themselves will one day suffer as they have made others suffer (24-28).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"A faithful man shall abound with blessings; But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be unpunished."

Paul admonished Christians in the strongest language against striving to be rich (1 Timothy 6:6-10). The lifestyle that is most compatible with the hope of receiving at last the crown of life that never fades away is one that stresses industry, contentment, kindness and a genuine concern for the welfare of others as well as that of one's own family.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Not the possession of wealth, nor even the acquisition of it, is evil, but the eager haste of covetousness.

Shall not be innocent - Better, as in the margin, in contrast with the many “blessings” of the “faithful.”

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 28

Twenty-eight:

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are as bold as a lion ( Proverbs 28:1 ).

The contrast of the wicked and the righteous. We had an awful lot of that early in the proverbs.

For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged ( Proverbs 28:2 ).

When the land is bad, there's many changes of dynasties, governments. When evil existing. But a man of understanding and knowledge, the state, his position will be prolonged.

A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaves no food. They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them. Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things ( Proverbs 28:3-5 ).

This calls to mind the second chapter of Corinthians, First Corinthians, where Paul declares that, "The natural man understandeth not the things of the Spirit, neither can he know them. They are spiritually discerned. But he which is spiritual understands all things, though he is not understood of men" ( 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 ). So evil men understand not the judgment, but they that seek the Lord, God gives to us an understanding, an oeidus, an intuitive knowledge of things.

Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich ( Proverbs 28:6 ).

An honest poor man much better than a perverse rich man.

Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men will bring shame to his father. He that by usury and unjust gain increases his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor ( Proverbs 28:7-8 ).

God will take it away from you and distribute it among the poor.

He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination ( Proverbs 28:9 ).

Prayer at some times in some places is an abomination. Now, we look at prayer as really the highest function of a Christian duty or experience. You know, a man in prayer, you see that as the highest form of the communion of a man with God. But it is possible that even our prayers can be an abomination. And if I if I'm not regarding the law of God, if I turn away my ear from obedience to the law of God, my prayers are useless. The Bible says that, "God's hand is not short, that He cannot save; neither is His ear heavy, that He cannot hear. But your sins have separated you from God" ( Isaiah 59:1-2 ).

The psalmist said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord hears me not when I pray" ( Psalms 66:18 ). So my prayer becomes almost deceitful. It's an abomination. I say, "Well, I know I'm not so good. I know I'm not doing what I should but, I still pray." Well, hey, if your hands are filled with blood and you raise those bloody hands to God in prayer, God's not going to hear you. Your sin has separated between you and God. It isn't that God can't hear you; He won't hear you. So prayer becomes an abomination. It becomes a deceitful thing. I think, "Well, I'm not too bad because I still pray." But yet my prayers are worthless. They're an abomination.

Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession. The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out. When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy ( Proverbs 28:10-13 ).

A lot of people seeking to cover their sins. Try to cover your sin, you're not going to prosper. "Be sure your sins will find you out" ( Numbers 32:23 ), God said. But whosoever will confess them and forsake them. In John we read, "If a man says he has no sin, he's only deceiving himself, the truth is not in him. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" ( 1 John 1:8-9 ). Just confess and forsake your sins. God will be merciful to you. And it shows you the folly of going on and trying to cover your sin. You're not going to prosper. You're not going to get away with it. The best thing as far as sin is the confession and the forsaking, because then you can have and find mercy. Until you confess and forsake, you're going to have to answer for them.

Happy is the man that reverences always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor ( Proverbs 28:14-16 ):

That is, the prince who lacks in understanding will be a great oppressor of the people.

but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; and let no man stop him. Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once. He that tills his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that follows after vain persons shall have poverty enough. A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. To have the respect of persons is not good: for, for a piece of bread that man will transgress ( Proverbs 28:16-21 ).

James rebukes us for having respect of persons in our assemblies. And he points out how that if a person comes in in rags, you have a tendency to push him off in the corner. But if a guy comes in flashing diamonds and everything else, "Oh, come on down here, take this place of honor." He says, "Hey, you have respect of persons. That's not good. God is no respecter of persons. And for us to have respect of persons is not good. A person who has the respect of persons, for a piece of bread he'll transgress."

He that hasteth to be rich ( Proverbs 28:22 )

The get-rich-quick schemes.

has an evil eye, and considers not that poverty shall come upon him ( Proverbs 28:22 ).

There are a lot of get-rich schemes, or I should say get-rich scams that are all over the place today. If you haste to be rich, you're looking for a get-rich scam, you're going to lose your shirt. So many people trying to go to Vegas to get rich quick. Because every once in a while, some person hits the jackpot down there. And when they hit the jackpot, they make news. The papers publish the fact that this guy hit the jackpot on the dollar machine; he's won $287,000. And everybody around the country hears it. They don't tell you about the 280,000 that went away from Las Vegas selling their watch to the service station attendant in Barstow to get enough gas to get home. For every one winner, there's a thousand losers. He that hastes to get rich, he who's looking for a get-rich scheme is going to end up in poverty.

He that rebukes a man, afterwards shall find more favor than he who flatters with a tongue ( Proverbs 28:23 ).

That is, he who rebukes a man, afterwards he'll find more favor than the man who was flattered with his tongue.

Whoso robs his father or his mother, and says, It's no transgression; the same is a companion of the destroyer. He that is of a proud heart stirs up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat ( Proverbs 28:24-25 ).

Oh, I love that. I've determined that we have an ungodly obsession with skinniness. I don't find any scriptures that talks about the blessing of skinniness.

He that trusts in his own heart is a fool ( Proverbs 28:26 ):

Now that's interesting, isn't it? Why? Because the scripture tells us in Jeremiah that, "The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked" ( Jeremiah 17:9 ). You don't really know it. So if you trust your own heart, you're a fool.

but whoso walketh wisely shall be delivered. He that gives unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hides his eyes [that is, from the poor] shall have many a curse. When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase ( Proverbs 28:26-28 ). "

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

A faithful man shall abound with blessings,.... Or, "a man of faithfulness" u. A very faithful man, that is truly so; that is so in a moral sense; true to his work, makes good his promises, fulfils his contracts, abides by the obligations he lays himself under; is faithful in every trust reposed in him, be it greater or lesser matters, in every station in which it is, and throughout the whole course of his life. Such a man abounds with the blessings and praises of men; all value him, and speak well of him: and with the blessings of divine Providence; he is "much [in] blessings" w, as it may be rendered; as in receiving blessings from God, so in giving them to men; such a man is usually charitable and beneficent. And it may be understood of one that is faithful, in a spiritual and evangelic sense; for of such characters are the followers of the Lamb, Revelation 17:14. It is in the original, "a man of truths" x; one that has the truth of grace in him; that knows the grace of God in truth; with whom the truth of the Gospel is; who has learnt it, known it, embraced it, values it, and abides by it; and who has a concern with Christ, who is the truth, who is formed, lives, and dwells in his heart; of whom he has made a good profession, and holds it fast, and whom he cleaves unto. The character of "faithful" belongs both to the true ministers of Christ, who preach the pure Gospel, and the whole of it; who seek not to please men, but God; and not themselves, and their own glory, but the things of Christ, and his glory; and continue to do so in the face of all opposition: and to private Christians, the faithful in Christ Jesus; who truly believe in him, stand by his truths, abide by his ordinances, and are faithful to one another, and continue so till death: these abound with the blessings of the covenant of grace, with all spiritual blessings in Christ, with the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ; they have an abundance of grace in them, given them in conversion, faith, hope, love, humility, and many other graces, in the exercise of which they are made to abound; and they have an abundance of blessings of grace bestowed on them, pardon of sin, a justifying righteousness, adoption, meetness for and right unto eternal life; they have Christ, and all things along with him; so that they may be truly said to have all things, and abound;

but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent; he that is over anxious, and immoderately desirous of being rich, and pursues every method of obtaining his desires, with all his might and main; that labours night and day for it; though he takes no criminal nor unlawful methods, properly so called, nor does he do anything injurious to others, yet he is not innocent; that too much anxiety in him is criminal; nor is he free from covetousness; see Proverbs 23:4; and if he uses any unjust and unlawful means to acquire wealth, and resolves to be rich, right or wrong, "per fas, per nefas", he shall not be innocent, neither before God nor men: so the Targum renders it,

"he that runs into iniquity, that he may be rich;''

and indeed when a man hastily, or in a short time, becomes rich, though he cannot be directly charged with fraud and injustice, yet he is not innocent in the minds of men, or free from their suspicious and jealousies of him. A man that makes haste to be rich is opposed to him that is faithful and true to his word and contracts, and is the same that Juvenal y calls "avarus properans"; see 1 Timothy 6:9.

u איש אמונות "vir fidelitatum", Vatablus, Merceras, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis. w רב ברכות "multus benedictionibus", Montanus, Vatablus, Baynus, Michaeiis. x "Vir veritatum", Montanus. y Satyr. 14. v. 178.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

      Here, 1. We are directed in the true way to be happy, and that is to be holy and honest. He that is faithful to God and man shall be blessed of the Lord, and he shall abound with blessings of the upper and nether springs. Men shall praise him, and pray for him, and be ready to do him any kindness. He shall abound in doing good, and shall himself be a blessing to the place where he lives. Usefulness shall be the reward of faithfulness, and it is a good reward. 2. We are cautioned against a false and deceitful way to happiness, and that is, right or wrong, raising an estate suddenly. Say not, This is the way to abound with blessings, for he that makes haste to be rich, more haste than good speed, shall not be innocent; and, if he be not, he shall not be blessed of God, but rather bring a curse upon what he has; nor, if he be not innocent, can he long be easy to himself; he shall not be accounted innocent by his neighbours, but shall have their ill will and ill word. He does not say that he cannot be innocent, but there is all the probability in the world that he will not prove so: He that hasteth with his feet sinneth, stumbleth, falleth. Sed quæ reverentia legum, quis metus, aut pudor, est unquam properantis avari?--What reverence for law, what fear, what shame, was ever indicated by an avaricious man hasting to be rich?