Do not rob the poor, because he is poor,
or crush the afflicted at the gate,
for the Lord will plead their cause
and rob of life those who rob them.
Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
nor go with a wrathful man,
lest you learn his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.
Be not one of those who give pledges,
who put up security for debts.
If you have nothing with which to pay,
why should your bed be taken from under you?
Do not move the ancient landmark
that your fathers have set.Proverbs 22:22-28
22 and 23 belong together, and state an inalienable principle which in the strict justice of God works out repeatedly in human life. Those who oppress the afflicted and despoil them will not depart this life before they themselves suffer in the same way. God will see to this. As Kidner graphically puts it, 'To be ruthlessly 'on the make' is to make, above all, an Enemy'. The theme in 24, 25 is the dangers of bad company. The point that is made is that we become like those with whom we keep company. This is of wide application, but perhaps it could be usefully applied to 'boy-girl' relationships, to give a useful and practical guideline in an area where unsuitable relationships are notoriously common. We could paraphrase the words thus: 'Make no friendship with an unsuitable man (or woman), or fall into the error of convincing yourself that somehow he (or she) will become suitable, or that you will make him (or her) suitable after marriage.' It never works. In 26,27, the reference is once again to becoming surety, and this has been touched upon more than once in our studies, especially 6:1-5. The primary reference in 28 is to the law anent property in Deuteronomy 19:14; but the words can with real profit be applied in a general way as a warning not to sweep away old, established things, just because they are old. In this sense, it is an apt word for the young generation in whom there is an inevitable temptation to iconoclasm. In tomorrow's Note we give a comment which applies the words in a particular direction.