Proverbs – the consequences of poverty

I'm looking at the Bible's wisdom literature at the moment, in particular the Old Testament book of Proverbs.  Nothing fancy! Just skimming through trying to get a sense of what is said on particular topics.

What follows is a sweep that picks out proverbs focusing on the situation of the poor*.  It brings out three things (according to which I’ve roughly grouped them below).

• Material poverty leads to relational poverty

• Material poverty leaves you vulnerable to oppression

• God is concerned for the poor
  

Material poverty leads to relational poverty

• The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends. (14v20)
  
• Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friend deserts him. (19v4)
  
• A poor man is shunned by all his relatives— how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found. (19v7)
  

Material poverty leaves you vulnerable to oppression

• The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor. (10v15)
  
• A poor man's field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away. (13v23)
  
• The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. (22v7)
  
• A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops. (28v3)
  
• Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. (31v8)
  
• Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,
  
• for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them. (22v22-23)
  

God is concerned for the poor

• He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. (14v31)
  
• He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished. (17v5)
  
• He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. (19v17)
  
• If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered. (21v13)
  
• Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all. (22v2)
  
• A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor. (22v9)
  
• He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. (28v27)
  
• The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. (29v7)
  

*Note: I've not included here the (many) proverbs which consider patterns of behaviour and lifestyle that can lead to poverty (the sluggard, the drunkard,...).  However, the place of personal responsibility needs to be wisely considered alongside these issues.  It does not contradict nor should it  lessen any of the above.