As in 14.21 this saying promises a reward to the person who is generous to the poor.

“He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord“: New Revised Standard Version revises “He who” to “Whoever.” For “kind” refer to 14.31. “Kind to”, a general thought, is made more concrete by Good News Translation “give to.” Contemporary English Version has “caring for” and New English Bible/Revised English Bible “generous to.” “Lends” means to give to someone with the understanding that what is given will be returned. The sense of “lends to the Lord” is that a person who gives to the poor will be repaid by the Lord, as the next line says. Good News Translation expresses this thought as a simile “When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord.”

“And he will repay him for his deed”: The subject “he” is the Lord. “Repay” renders the same Hebrew verb that Revised Standard Version translates as “rewards” in 13.21. “Him” is the person who gives to the poor. “His deed” refers to the action of the giver. Contemporary English Version expresses this line as a passive “and you will be well repaid.” We may also say, for example, “and the Lord will repay you.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .