(27) He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack.—See above on Proverbs 11:24.

Shall have many a curse.—With this comp. Ecclesiasticus 4:5-6.

Proverbs 28:27. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack — Shall not empoverish himself by it, as covetous men imagine or pretend, but shall be enriched, which is implied; but he that hideth his eyes — Lest he should see poor and miserable persons, and thereby be moved to pity, or obliged to relieve them; shall have many a curse — Partly from the poor, whose curses, being not causeless, shall come upon him, and partly from God, who will curse his very blessings, and bring him to extreme want and misery.

28:24. Here is the wickedness of those who think it no sin to rob their parents, by wheedling them or threatening them, or by wasting what they have, and running into debt. 25. Those make themselves always easy, that live in continual dependence upon God and his grace, and live by faith. 26. A fool trusts to his own strength, merit, and righteousness. And trusts to his own heart, which is not only deceitful above all things, but which has often deceived him. 27. A selfish man not only will not look out for objects of compassion, but will look off from those that call for his attention. 28. When power is put into the hands of the wicked, wise men decline public business. If the reader will go diligently over this and the other chapters, in many places where at first he may suppose there is least of Christ, still he will find what will lead to him.Hideth his eyes - i. e., Turns away from, disregards, the poor. Compare Isaiah 1:15. 27. (Compare Pr 11:24-26).

hideth his eyes—as the face (Ps 27:9; 69:17), denotes inattention.

Shall not lack; shall not impoverish himself by it, as covetous men imagine or pretend; but shall be enriched, which is implied.

That hideth his eyes, lest he should see poor and miserable men, and thereby be moved to pity or obliged to relieve them. So he cunningly avoids the beginnings, and occasions, and provocations to charity; teaching us to use the same caution against sin.

Shall have many a curse; partly from the poor, whose curses, being not causeless, shall come upon him, and partly from God, who will curse his very blessings, and bring him to extreme want and misery.

He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack,.... That gives alms unto them, relieves them in their distress, supplies them with money, food, or clothes, and does it cheerfully, largely, and liberally, as the case requires; such an one shall not want any good thing; he shall not be the poorer for what he gives; he shall not miss it, nor his substance be diminished; he shall not come to poverty and want, yea, he shall be enriched, and his substance increased, for more is intended than is expressed. Jarchi interprets this of a wise man not restraining doctrine from a disciple, but giving it to him liberally;

but he that hideth his eyes; that is, from the poor, as the Targum and Syriac version add; that does not care to see his person, to behold his miseries, or know his case, lest his heart should be moved with compassion, and should draw out anything from him; see Isaiah 58:7. Such an one

shall have many a curse; not only from the poor he hardens himself against, but from other persons, who observe his miserable and covetous disposition; and from the Lord himself, who abhors such persons, and curses their very blessings now, and will bid them depart from him as accursed persons hereafter.

He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.