Proverbs 28:25

The greedy person ¹  stirs up dissension, ²  but the one who trusts ³  in the Lord will prosper. ⁴ 

A greedy man stirs up dissension, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

An arrogant man stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.

Greed causes fighting; trusting the LORD leads to prosperity.

A grasping person stirs up trouble, but trust in GOD brings a sense of well-being.

He who is ever desiring profit is a cause of fighting; but he who puts his faith in the Lord will be made fat.

The greedy person stirs up strife, but whoever trusts in the LORD will be enriched.

He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered.

The greedy person ¹  stirs up dissension, ²  but the one who trusts ³  in the Lord will prosper. ⁴ 

¹ tn Heb “wide of soul.” This is an idiom meaning “a greedy person.” The term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, traditionally, “soul”) has here its more basic meaning of appetites (a person is a soul, a bundle of appetites; BDB 660 s.v. 5.a). It would mean “wide of appetite” (רְהַב־נֶפֶשׁ), thus “greedy.”

² sn Greed “stirs up” the strife. This individual’s attitude and actions stir up dissension because people do not long tolerate him.

³ tn The construction uses the participle בּוֹטֵחַ (boteakh) followed by עַל־יְהוָה (’al-yÿhvah), which gives the sense of “relying confidently on the Lord.” This is the antithesis of the greedy person who pushes to get what he desires.

⁴ tn The verb דָּשֵׁן (dashen) means “to be fat,” and in the Piel/Pual stems “to make fat/to be made fat” (cf. KJV, ASV). The idea of being “fat” was symbolic of health and prosperity – the one who trusts in the Lord will be abundantly prosperous and fully gratified (cf. NRSV “will be enriched”).