Proverbs 28:20

A faithful person ¹  will have an abundance of blessings, but the one who hastens ²  to gain riches will not go unpunished.

1Sa 22:14; 2Ki 5:20-27; Ne 7:2; Ps 101:6; Ps 112:4-9; Pr 13:11; Pr 17:5; Pr 20:6; Pr 20:21; Pr 23:4; Pr 28:22; Lu 12:42; Lu 16:1,10-12; 1Co 4:2-5; 1Ti 6:9,10; Re 2:10,13

¹ tn Heb “a man of faithfulness,” although the context does not indicate this should be limited only to males.

sn The text does not qualify the nature of the faithfulness. While this would certainly have implications for the person’s righteous acts, its primary meaning may be his diligence and reliability in his work. His faithful work will bring the returns.

² sn The proverb is not rebuking diligent labor. One who is eager to get rich quickly is the opposite of the faithful person. The first person is faithful to God and to the covenant community; the second is trying to get rich as quickly as possible, at the least without doing an honest day’s work and at the worst dishonestly. In a hurry to gain wealth, he falls into various schemes and will pay for it. Tg. Prov 28:20 interprets this to say he hastens through deceit and wrongdoing.