Proverbs 22:7
The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
Cross-reference
Proverbs 22:16 warns that oppressing the poor leads to poverty—reinforcing the economic hierarchy where rich rule over poor.
Proverbs 22:22 commands not to rob the poor—a direct application of the power dynamic where the rich rule over the poor.
Proverbs 14:31 equates oppressing the poor with reproaching God—expanding the moral weight of the rich ruling over the poor.
Proverbs 18:23 shows the poor pleading and the rich answering roughly—illustrating the rule of rich over poor in daily interactions.
In 2 Kings 4:1, a creditor takes children as slaves, directly illustrating 'the borrower is slave to the lender'.
In Nehemiah 5:5, children are forced into slavery to pay debts, embodying the borrower's servitude.
In James 2:6, rich oppressing the poor and dragging them to court matches the proverb's power imbalance.
Amos 2:6 condemns selling the poor for silver—same injustice as the rich ruling over the poor, but with prophetic judgment.
Amos 2:6 condemns selling the poor for silver—reinforcing the same theme of economic oppression as the rich ruling over the poor.
Matthew 18:25 depicts a debtor sold into slavery, illustrating the borrower becoming slave to the lender from Proverbs 22:7.
In Amos 8:6, buying the poor for silver mirrors the borrower becoming slave to the lender.
In James 5:4, withholding wages is a specific injustice similar to the debt slavery in the proverb.
Deuteronomy 15:6 promises Israel will be lenders, not borrowers, reinforcing the idea that borrowing implies subjugation.
In Amos 5:11, trampling the poor and taking grain taxes reflects the same rich-over-poor oppression.
Deuteronomy 28:12 similarly promises blessing of lending and not borrowing, aligning with Proverbs' view of borrower as subordinate.
In Amos 5:12, afflicting the righteous and pushing aside the needy parallels the proverb's theme of exploitation.
Psalm 37:21 contrasts the wicked borrower who doesn't repay with the righteous giver, adding moral weight to Proverbs' observation.
In James 5:1, a warning to the rich about coming miseries follows from the oppression described in the proverb.