Proverbs 29:13

The poor person and the oppressor ¹  have this in common: ²  the Lord gives light ³  to the eyes of them both.

Ex 22:25,26; Le 25:35-37; Ne 5:5-7; Ps 13:3; Pr 22:2; Mt 5:45; Mt 9:9; 1Co 6:10; Eph 2:1

¹ tn Heb “a man of oppressions”; KJV “the deceitful man.” The noun תֹּךְ (tokh) means “injury; oppression” (BDB 1067 s.v.). Such men were usually the rich and powerful. The Greek and the Latin versions have “the debtor and creditor.”

² tn The verb פָּגַשׁ (pagash) means “to meet; to encounter.” In the Niphal it means “to meet each other; to meet together” (cf. KJV, ASV). The focus in this passage is on what they share in common.

³ sn The expression gives light to the eyes means “gives them sight” (cf. NIV). The expression means that by giving them sight the Lord gives them the light of life (e.g., Job 33:30; Ps 13:3). God creates and controls them all. So in spite of their circumstances in life, all people receive their life from God.