10:15 The wealth of a rich person is like 1 a fortified city, 2
but the poor are brought to ruin 3 by 4 their poverty.
14:28 A king’s glory is 5 the abundance of people,
but the lack of subjects 6 is the ruin 7 of a ruler.
1 tn Heb “is.” This expression, “a rich man’s wealth is his strong city,” is a metaphor. The comparative particle “like” is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
2 tn Heb “a city of his strength.” The genitive עֹז (’oz, “strength”) functions as an attributive genitive: “strong city” = “fortified city.” This phrase is a metaphor; wealth protects its possessions against adversity like a fortified city. Such wealth must be attained by diligence and righteous means (e.g., 13:8; 18:23; 22:7).
3 tn Heb “the ruin of the poor.” The term דַּלִּים (dalim, “of the poor”) functions as an objective genitive. Poverty leads to the ruin of the poor. The term “ruin” includes the shambles in which the person lives. This provides no security but only the fear of ruin. This proverb is an observation on life.
4 tn Heb “is their poverty.”
5 tn The preposition serves as the beth essentiae – the glory is the abundant population, not in it.
6 tn Heb “people.” Cf. NLT “a dwindling nation.”
7 sn The word means “ruin; destruction,” but in this context it could be a metonymy of effect, the cause being an attack by more numerous people that will bring ruin to the ruler. The proverb is purely a practical and secular saying, unlike some of the faith teachings in salvation history passages.