Introduction
Before getting into the meaning of Proverbs 10:15, here’s different Bible translations:
King James Version
The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.
American Standard Version
The rich man's wealth is his strong city: The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
World English Bible version
The rich man's wealth is his strong city. The destruction of the poor is their poverty.
Proverbs 10:15 Meaning & Commentary
In this scripture, we see the contrast between a rich person and their wealth, and a poor person, and their poverty. The wealth of the rich person is their strong city, but the poverty of the poor is their ruin. Let’s first examine the wealth of the rich man, and how this is a “strong city” as The Bible says. A strong city acts as a fortress that protects someone, keeps them safe, and does not allow others to get to them. It is a shield, a fortress, and a “layer of protection”.
Think of it like this, a person who has wealth is free from the control of others. They have a “buffer” around them in the sense that they do not need to do what others want them to do and are free to live life on their terms. These sorts of people may be business owners, people who have investments working for them. If they want to go on holiday, they do. If they want to sleep in, they do. If they do not feel like taking phone calls, they do that. This wealth that they have built is like a strong city around them.
I hope you are starting to see the picture here? They are free from the control of others and people cannot just get to them to control them – they are the ones in control of their time, their resources, and their money. They have built a strong city around them, and it is through their wealth that they have done it! Now that we have discussed this, you should already have a picture of how the poverty of the poor is their ruin.
Their lives can easily be pillaged by others, they lack options and choices, and they are usually “seized captive” easily by others to do their will, not their own will. As the saying goes “I owe, I owe, so off to work I go” is the reality of many living in poverty. They have not built a fortress around their lives but are constantly at the mercy of others and can easily be “captured” because there is no strong city around them!
Application
How then can we practically apply Proverbs 10:15 to our lives?
In discussing this scripture, it’s important to remember that as children of God, we are free from other people, and are servants of God, and our lives should be dictated and guided by him, but there is also a reality and practical dynamic to being in control of our own lives (under God). We need to work on building wealth in our lives and giving ourselves more options to be in control of our time, resources, and energy. If you only have one job, but tons of debt, you are very much “bound” and under the control of your circumstances, your boss, and your job.
The way you begin to build a “strong” city around your life is by starting to work on building extra income streams, paying off your debt, and building up savings. These are practical ways of wealth-building that can allow you to take charge of your life again. A big key is to develop yourself in your skills, your ways of thinking, and operating. The best investment is to invest in yourself! The great thing about this is that anyone can start right where they are, brick upon brick, layer upon layer.
There is a recent, well-known story of a man who had done and said some things which were offensive to the media and certain groups of people. They threatened to limit his influence because of this, which would have no doubt affected his earnings as well. He did not care though, because he is very, very wealthy. You see, he has built a strong city of wealth in his life, and this positions him to navigate life differently from someone who has no wealth in their life. I believe this is a practical example of Proverbs 10:15 at work!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I come to you in Jesus’ name, and I thank you for this powerful, and eye-opening verse. I submit myself under you. Help me and guide me on the path to wealth building, as I believe and know that this is what you desire. Give me ideas, insight, and strategies for practical ways that I can go about building wealth in my life. I ask you for wisdom now, and I pray that you open my eyes to the principles in your Word. I pray this is Jesus’ name. Amen!
