Proverbs 19:17 - Meaning and Application

This verse teaches the duty of charity, and it includes two parts: compassion and generosity. Compassion is the inward heart of charity. It means feeling pity for the poor. Even a person who has no money to give can still have that kind of concern and sympathy. But if someone gives away all he owns and does not have love in his heart, it amounts to nothing (1 Corinthians 13:3). We must also “pour out our souls to the hungry,” which means caring deeply and sincerely for their need (Isaiah 58:10).

Charity also includes bounty and liberality, that is, open-handed giving. We must not only feel pity for the poor, but also give according to their need and our ability (James 2:15-16). The phrase “that which he has given,” or “his deed,” shows that charity includes doing good for the poor as well as giving money. In that way, if people have strength and senses, they can show charity to one another through helpful acts.

The verse also gives strong encouragement to charity. What is given to the poor, or done for them, God counts as if it were lent to him, and lent on interest. He takes it kindly, as though it were done to himself. He wants us to take comfort in that, and to be as pleased as a lender is when money is safely placed in good hands.

There is also a rich reward for such giving. God will pay the giver back with blessings in this life, in spiritual good, and in eternal life. Giving to the poor is the safest and surest way to prosper in the end.