The background of these verses continues to show situations of extreme poverty, hunger, and social unrest of all kinds. We see contrasting terms: rich-poor, miserly-generous, foolish-prudent, sincerity-flattery, wicked-righteous. These are opposing terms that force a person to choose the direction of their life. Verse 28 provides the key to understanding that we are referring to the fearsome King Manasseh and his court, who inflicted great evil upon the Israelite nation. Although it is written as a saying, the meaning of the proverb is that this king and his followers must disappear so that the righteous may prosper.