All the brethren of the poor do hate him,.... They despise him on account of his poverty; they neglect him, and do not take care of him; they reckon him a reproach unto them, and do not choose to own him; all which may be interpreted an hatred of him;
how much more do his friends go far from him? or "his friend", every one of his friends; or "his neighbour" l: for if his brethren, who are his own flesh and blood, show so much disrespect unto him; much more will those who are only his neighbours, or were in friendship with him while in prosperity; these wilt stand at a distance from him, and not come near him, now he is poor and in distress; see Job 19:13;
he pursueth [them with] words; [yet] they are wanting [to him]; or, "they [are] not" m; he presses them with earnest entreaties to relieve him; he urges their own words and promises, and fetches arguments from them, and uses them as far as they will go; but all signifies nothing; his own words and petitions are to no purpose; and their words and promises are all smoke and vapour, vain and empty. Some understand this, as Gersom, not of the poor man that follows vain words n and empty promises, and buoys himself up with them that such an one and such an one has promised to be his friend, of which nothing comes; but of the friend that separates from the poor man, and pursues him with words of accusation, charging it on him as hit own fault that he is poor; which accusations are not true. This is one of the fifteen places observed by the Masoretes, in which it is written לא, "not", and read לו, "to him": both may be retained, and read, "they [are] not to him" o; not profitable to him; either his own words, his petitions; or the words of others, their promises.
l מרעהו "amicus ejus", Vatablus; "ominis amicus", Cocceius; i.e. "quisque amicorum ejus", Michaelis. m לא המה "non sunt ii", Junius Tremillius "et non sunt, Mercerus. n "Nihil illa", Cocceius, Schultens. o Vid. Amamae Antibarb. Bibl. l. 3. p. 742.