The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.
What makes a person truly desirable is their kindness and loyalty, and a poor person who is honest is better than someone who lies.
This verse is saying that being kind and truthful matters more than having wealth or status.
📚 Historical Context
This proverb comes from the collection of wise sayings traditionally attributed to King Solomon, written during Israel's golden age around 950-700 BC. In ancient Israel, as in many societies, there was often a temptation to value wealth and social status over character traits like honesty and kindness. The Hebrew word 'chesed' translated as 'kindness' here actually means loyal love or faithfulness - the kind of steadfast character that makes someone trustworthy.
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