Proverbs 21:13 · Webster's Bible

Whoever stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
Proverbs 21:13 in the Webster's Bible reads: “Whoever stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.”. Read it in the full context of Proverbs 21, or compare how other translations render it below.

Proverbs 21:13 in Other Translations

KJV Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
WEB Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.
ASV Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, He also shall cry, but shall not be heard.
YLT Whoso is shutting his ear from the cry of the poor, He also doth cry, and is not answered.
WBT Whoever stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
DBY Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also himself shall cry, and shall not be heard.

Commentary on Proverbs 21:13

Expositions from classic Bible commentators.

Matthew Henry · Proverbs 21:13

Here we have the description and doom of an uncharitable man. 1. His description: He stops his ears at the cry of the poor, at the cry of their wants and miseries (he resolves to take no cognizance of them), at the cry of their requests and supplications - he resolves he will not so much as give them the hearing, turns them away from his door, and forbids them to come near him, or, if he cannot avoid hearing them, he will not need them, nor be moved by their complaints, no be prevailed with by their importunities; he shuts up the bowels of his compassion, and that is equivalent to the stopping of his ears, Act 7:57. 2. His doom. He shall himself be reduced to straits, which will make him cry, and then he shall not be heard. Men will not hear him, but reward him as he has rewarded others. God will not hear him; for he that showed no mercy shall have judgment without mercy (Jam 2:13), and he that on earth denied a crumb of bread in hell was denied a drop of water. God will be deaf to the prayers of those who are deaf to the cries of the poor, which, if they be not heard by us, will be heard against us, Exo 22:23.

Read Matthew Henry's full commentary on Proverbs 21 →

John Gill · Proverbs 21:13

Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor,.... For want of bread; or, "of the weak", as the Septuagint and other versions; for want of help and protection, when in the greatest distress; and, with the most pressing importunity, entreats his assistance, and yet refuses to hear him out: or, if he does, will not relieve him, which is all one as if he heard him not, or denied him a hearing;

he also shall cry himself; the Targum and Syriac version add, "unto God". The sense is, that even such an one shall be brought into the like distressed circumstances, when he shall make application to God, and to his fellow creatures, for relief and assistance:

but shall not be heard; a deaf ear will be turned to him by both: the same measure he has measured shall be measured to him again; no mercy shall be shown to an unmerciful man, either by God or man; see Jam 2:13.

Read John Gill's full commentary on Proverbs 21 →

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown · Proverbs 21:13

The principles of retribution, often taught (compare Psa 18:26; Mat 7:1-12).

Read Jamieson, Fausset & Brown's full commentary on Proverbs 21 →

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Questions about Proverbs 21:13

What does Proverbs 21:13 say?

Proverbs 21:13 in the Webster's Bible reads: “Whoever stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.” Read it in the full context of Proverbs 21, alongside the classic commentary on this page.

Where is Proverbs 21:13 found in the Bible?

Proverbs 21:13 is in the book of Proverbs, chapter 21, verse 13, in the Old Testament.

What Bible translation is Proverbs 21:13 shown in?

This is the Webster's Bible (WBT), a public-domain translation. You can compare how other translations render Proverbs 21:13 in the table on this page.

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