(箴言 13:23)
“窮人耕種多得糧食，但因不義有消滅的。”
這是一節非常有意義的經文。前半部分提到「窮人耕種多得糧食」，在希伯來文中，「耕種」有「開墾」的意思。 當一個人非常努力、辛勤地開墾原本荒廢的土地時，上帝會看顧並賜下祝福，使他獲得豐盛的糧食。 這代表只要人願意深耕、努力工作，天父必會供應。
然而，後半部分提出警告：「但因不義有消滅的」。 這裡的「消滅」在語境中形容像洪水或大風一般，在極短的時間內使財富化為烏有。
在希伯來原文及箴言的背景中，「不義」一詞由否定詞開頭，具有特殊的含意。第一是缺乏判斷力：指人失去正確的判斷。第二是不按秩序規矩做事：指人沒有按照應有的準則、規矩或秩序去處理事務。
一個農夫雖然辛勤工作，但缺乏秩序或判斷力，他的財富就無法守得住。例如他辛勤耕種後，卻在收成時期因懶惰或判斷錯誤，錯過了收割時間。或收成後沒有按照正常的市場價格銷售，導致虧損。或胡亂揮霍：將賺取的金錢隨意花費，不懂得管理財富。又或沒有留存足夠的種子以供明年耕種。
這節經文啟示我們，努力工作固然重要，上帝也應許會供應我們一切所需，但我們必須學習按聖經的法則來管理上帝賜予的財富。 若缺乏正確的判斷、不懂得管理金錢或存有貪念，辛苦得來的成果很快就會消失。 我們應當成為上帝財富的好管家，守住祂所賜的恩典。
(Proverbs 13:23)
“Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.”
This is a deeply meaningful verse. The first part mentions that “Abundant food is in the fallow ground of the poor.” In Hebrew, “fallow ground” implies the act of “breaking new ground” or “cultivation”. When a person works very hard and diligently to cultivate land that was originally desolate, God watches over them and bestows blessings, allowing them to obtain a bountiful harvest of food. This signifies that as long as one is willing to cultivate deeply and work hard, the Heavenly Father will surely provide.
However, the latter part issues a warning: “but it is swept away through injustice.” Here, “swept away” is described in context as being like a flood or a strong wind, causing wealth to vanish into nothingness in a very short period of time.
In the original Hebrew and the context of Proverbs, the word for “injustice” begins with a negation and carries a special meaning. First, it refers to a lack of discernment: meaning a person has lost the ability to make correct judgments. Second, it refers to not acting according to order or rules: meaning a person has failed to handle affairs according to the proper standards, regulations, or order.
Even if a farmer works diligently, if he lacks order or discernment, he will be unable to preserve his wealth. For example, after laboring to cultivate the land, he might miss the harvest time due to laziness or an error in judgment during the reaping season. Or, after the harvest, he might fail to sell at normal market prices, resulting in a loss. Alternatively, he might engage in reckless squandering: spending earned money haphazardly without knowing how to manage wealth. Or perhaps he fails to set aside enough seeds for the next year’s planting.
This verse reveals to us that while hard work is certainly important and God promises to provide all that we need, we must also learn to manage the wealth God bestows according to biblical principles. If one lacks correct judgment, does not know how to manage money, or harbors greed, the fruits of hard labor will quickly disappear. We ought to become good stewards of God’s wealth and safeguard the grace He has given us.
