He that hasteneth to be rich hath an evil {l} eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

(l) Meaning, he that is covetous.

Wesley's Notes

28:22 Evil eye - Is uncharitable to persons in want, and envious to those who get any thing besides him. Poverty - And consequently that he shall need the pity and help of others.

King James Translators' Notes

hasteth...: or, hath and evil eye hasteth to be rich

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

22. (Compare Pr 28:20).

evil eye-in the general sense of Pr 23:6, here more specific for covetousness (compare Pr 22:9; Mt 20:15).

poverty . him-by God's providence.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

28:18. Uprightness will give men holy security in the worst times; but the false and dishonest are never safe. 19. Those who are diligent, take the way to live comfortably. 20. The true way to be happy, is to be holy and honest; not to raise an estate suddenly, without regard to right or wrong. 21. Judgment is perverted, when any thing but pure right is considered. 22. He that hastens to be rich, never seriously thinks how quickly God may take his wealth from him, and leave him in poverty. 23. Upon reflection, most will have a better opinion of a faithful reprover than of a soothing flatterer.

Matthew Henry's Whole Bible Commentary

Verse 22

Here again Solomon shows the sin and folly of those that will be rich; they are resolved that they will be so, per fas, per nefas-right or wrong; they will be so with all speed; they are getting hastily an estate. 1. They have no comfort in it: They have an evil eye, that is, they are always grieving at those that have more than they, and always grudging their necessary expenses, because they think the former keep them from seeming rich, the latter from being so, and between both they must needs be perpetually uneasy. 2. They have no assurance of the continuance of it, and yet take no thought to provide against the loss of it: Poverty shall come upon them, and the riches which they made wings for, that they might fly to them, will make themselves wings to fly from them; but they are secure and improvident, and do not consider this, that while they are making haste to be rich they are really making haste to be poor, else they would not trust to uncertain riches.