Proverbs 29:7
“The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The righteous care about the poor; the wicked ignore their plight.
Context
Proverbs on mercy: righteousness includes concern for the vulnerable.
What Does Proverbs 29:7 Mean?
To 'consider the cause' means to examine the poor person's situation—what hardship brought them low, what justice might lift them up. The righteous person asks questions, listens, and acts. Their righteousness isn't abstract; it bends toward mercy and fairness for those with no power to demand it.
The wicked person doesn't want to know. Acknowledging the poor's cause would require empathy and action, so they avert their gaze. This isn't mere indifference; it's active refusal to care. The verse contrasts two ways of seeing: the righteous look; the wicked turn away.
In the Original Language
din (דין), 'cause' or 'judgment'—the case or claim of someone seeking justice; to know it is to examine it seriously.