Proverbs 11:26

Context

In the book of Proverbs, 10:1–22:16 forms a collection of one- and two-line sayings under the heading "The proverbs of Solomon," and this verse is one of them. Rather than being addressed to a particular individual, it is a lesson from Israel's wisdom tradition directed to the community as a whole, and it follows the typical form of wisdom literature. Its form is antithetic parallelism, a mode of expression in which the first and second lines are paired by contrasting content. In this verse, "he that withholdeth corn" stands against "him that selleth it," and "curse" stands against "blessing."

The immediately preceding passage, Proverbs 11:24–25, says that the one who scatters and shares actually grows richer. The latter half of chapter 11 continues with sayings that likewise contrast clutching wealth with sharing it. The expression "blessing shall be upon the head" is an idiom also found in Proverbs 10:6, meaning that blessing will surely come to that person.

Interpretation

• Literal and social reading: Many commentators take the background of this verse to be a famine or a time when grain was scarce. On this view, the verse rebukes hoarding, that is, stockpiling grain while waiting for prices to rise further. A notable point in this reading is that the one who receives the blessing is not the one who gives grain away freely but "him that selleth it." Accordingly, the verse is understood not to condemn trade or profit as such but to target the greed that seeks to increase gain by exploiting a neighbor's hunger.
• Broader ethical reading: Some extend "corn" to include necessities in general. This reading finds in the verse the principle that wealth is not detached from the needs of the community. The verse is therefore cited alongside Proverbs 22:9 in explaining stewardship or almsgiving.
• Spiritual application: Some sermons read "corn" figuratively as the Word or the gospel, applying the verse as a warning against keeping to oneself the grace one has received rather than sharing it. Even so, such treatments often also point out that the original context concerns actual grain and the marketplace.

Questions of Application

There is no significant doctrinal dispute among denominations over this verse. Several questions, however, have been raised about the scope of its application.

First, is stockpiling grain wrong in itself? The verse is often compared with the account of Joseph, who stored grain during the years of plenty and sold it during the famine (Genesis 41). On the basis of this comparison, the common interpretation holds that the problem is not storage itself but the refusal to release grain when it is needed.

Second, can this proverb be taken as direct guidance for modern market practices or for price regulation? Some hold that it should be applied with caution, noting that Proverbs consists not of legal statutes but of sayings that convey wisdom for life.

Related Passages

• Proverbs 11:24–25
• Proverbs 22:9
• Genesis 41:56–57
• Amos 8:4–6
• Nehemiah 5:1–13