Verse 20
"The poor is hated, even of his own neighbor; But the rich hath many friends."
"This sad but true picture of human nature is not here mentioned approvingly, but merely stated as a fact."[24]
This verse flings wide the gates of memory in this writer's life. We children were all small, and our father read this chapter before the evening prayer. That was my brother David's fifth birthday, and our father had just given him ten silver half-dollars for his birthday. Another brother (Robert), a little older than David, requested a loan of a half dollar. David reversed the clauses of this verse, saying, "The rich hath many friends, but the poor is despised by his neighbor. I won't let you have it"! As Deane noted, "This verse should be taken with the one which follows, because together they teach that it is a sin to despise and shun a man simply because he is poor."[25]
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