There is one who pretends to be rich, but has nothing;
Another pretends to be poor, but has great wealth.
Proverbs 13:7
I do not understand this verse. I looked up the cross references and they all point to a clear principle: it is better to give away temporary material wealth in exchange for eternal spiritual wealth.* So why do all the translators use the word pretend? I'm no Hebrew expert, but from what I can tell, it could just as likely be translated:
There is one who enriches himself, but has nothing;
Another impoverishes himself, but has great wealth.
Far be it from me to argue with educated translators (who ALL use the word pretend). The commentators explain it like this: There are those who have no money, but live luxurious lifestyles of debt accumulation. There are others who have plenty of money, but live thriftily. True… But I like my translation better.It plugs into a mega-theme in the Bible. And it seems to fit the next verse.
Any Hebrew experts out there want to explain this verse for us?
*Proverbs 11:24; Luke 12:13-21, 33; Revelation 3:17; 2 Corinthians 6:10; James 2:5
Okay, the next verse is equally unclear to me: "The ransom of a man’s life is his wealth,But the poor hears no rebuke."Proverbs 13:8A lot of translators render that last word ‘threat’. So you can take it two ways: 1. The wealthy are more likely to be kidnapped for ransom. The poor aren’t threatened by this danger. Watch out for kidnappers unless you’re poor!2. Wealth is the price of true life, which the poor have already paid, so they aren’t rebuked. Give up your wealth so you can LIVE!By the way, that last word is usually translated "rebuke" (to chide).