If you are looking for Proverbs 22 Bible study questions, this page gives you a full set you can use with a small group, a Sunday class, or your own quiet time. The questions move from what the chapter says, to what it means, to how you might live it this week. Each question comes with a short note for the leader, so you can guide the conversation without preparing a separate summary.
Proverbs 22 at a Glance
Proverbs 22 opens by placing a good name and kindness above great wealth, then reminds readers that rich and poor alike were made by the LORD. The middle of the chapter turns to practical wisdom: caution with danger, guarding your own heart, training children, generosity, and avoiding friendships with angry or corrupt people. Verses 17 to 21 shift into a more personal tone, as the speaker invites the reader to listen closely and trust the LORD.
The final section, verses 22 to 29, gives concrete warnings about exploiting the poor, befriending hot-tempered people, careless borrowing, and moving ancient boundary stones. It closes with a picture of diligent work leading to honor. Groups can treat the chapter as three movements: honor and riches, daily wisdom, and the protection of the vulnerable.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the exact words on the page, and resist the urge to explain yet. Read the chapter aloud once before you begin, and invite members to find the answers in their own Bibles.
Proverbs 22:1
A good name is more desirable than great riches, and loving favor is better than silver and gold.
(WEB)
This opening verse sets the tone for the whole chapter by ranking a good name and loving favor above wealth. Reading it aloud early helps the group see the values that will shape the rest of the discussion.
Proverbs 22:2
The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is the maker of them all.
(WEB)
Hearing that the LORD made both rich and poor offers a level ground for conversation about money and status. It is a short verse that can ground the group in humility before the session becomes heated.
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
(WEB)
This verse invites reflection on parenting, mentoring, and the long influence of early teaching. Reading it aloud gives space for parents and teachers in the group to share honestly.
Proverbs 22:17-19
17 Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching. 18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. 19 I teach you today, even you, So that your trust may be in the LORD.
(WEB)
These verses carry the speaker’s warm invitation to listen and trust the LORD. Reading the short range together helps the group feel the personal appeal behind the wisdom.
Proverbs 22:22-23
22 Don’t exploit the poor, because he is poor; and don’t crush the needy in court; 23 for the LORD will plead their case, and plunder the life of those who plunder them.
(WEB)
This passage names God as the defender of the poor and the one who pleads their case. Reading it aloud is a good way to end the application section and set up the closing prayer.
Memory Verse for Proverbs 22
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you as people who sometimes chase riches more than a good name, and who forget that the poor and the rich share the same Maker. Thank you for the wisdom of this chapter, which calls us to listen carefully, to guard our hearts, and to be generous with what you have given us. Help us notice danger before we walk into it, and give us wisdom in our friendships, our debts, and our work. Defend the vulnerable through us, and let our trust rest in you alone. Amen.
