10:15

Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

15a
The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city,

15b but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

10:15a

The wealth of the rich man is his fortified city: This clause is a metaphor that compares wealth to a fortified city. A fortified city is a city surrounded by high walls. These walls protect the inhabitants from outside dangers. Similarly, a rich person relies on his wealth to protect him from difficulties. This line is identical to 18:11a.

If the meaning of this metaphor is not clear in your language, some other ways to translate it are:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

A rich person’s wealth is like a fortress.

• Change to a simile and make the similarity explicit. For example:

A rich person’s wealth protects him like a city with strong walls protects its inhabitants.

• Translate the meaning without using the figure. For example:

Wealth protects the rich (Good News Translation)

10:15b

but poverty is the ruin of the poor: However, if a person is poor, he has no means to protect himself and can be ruined due to his lack of resources. The word ruin is identical to the word used in 10:14b. Some other ways to express the meaning of this line are:

but the poor are brought to ruin by their poverty (NET Bible)
-or-
poverty destroys the poor (Good News Translation)

poverty: In Hebrew, this word for poverty refers to extreme poverty. It is a different form of the word that is used in 10:4a, but it has the same emphasis. See the note and footnote there.

the poor: In Hebrew, this word for poor refers to people who lack material things. Since they belong to one of the lower social classes, they also lack power and significance. Most versions translate this Hebrew word with the general word “poor.” The Revised English Bible uses a more specific word that contrasts with the description of the rich in 10:15a. It has:

the helpless

You may use either option in your translation.

In this context, the words for “poverty” and poor refer to the same condition. For more information about this word for poor, see the note on 14:31a.

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