Choosing to be poor

I read Proverbs 13:7 in the New King James version this morning.



There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing;
And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

I'd like to do some study on the Hebrew in this verse because it has some implications to its application. An initial reading using the NKJV phrase "makes himself" sounds like each of these two types of people chooses their financial situation. The rich person chooses to be rich (probably by working hard, but maybe by dishonest means). The poor person chooses to be poor. How does one choose to be poor? He could either choose not to work (but would not have the great riches mentioned at the end of the verse), or he would give it all away.

When I looked this verse up in other versions, I found these translations:

A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;
a plain and simple life is a full life.
The Message

One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

ESV

There is one who pretends to be rich and yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor and yet possesses great wealth

The NET Bible

One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

NIV

My initial study showed the the Hebrew word in the first phrase

The Hitpael of עָשַׁר (’ashar, “to be rich”) means “to pretend to be rich” which involves “acting” or pretending to be something one is not.
The Hebrew word in the second phrase

The Hitpolel of רוּשׁ (rush, “to be poor”) means “to pretend to be poor”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary said that "pretends" refers to an adopted lifestyle, not playacting.

I'm not sure if the main idea of this verse, then, is honesty or generosity. If it is all about honesty, Solomon is saying that we shouldn't take everything at face value. Some people who look rich aren't really, and there are those who are pretending to be poor, and are hiding their riches.

Both ideas of honesty or generosity are supported in other places in scripture, but my initial reading drew some convicting applications for me. Am I choosing to be poor/impoverishing myself for great eternal and intangible riches? Am I choosing a simple lifestyle that allows me to give away more?

Chuck Swindoll says that the root of generosity is contentment. I will never be able to be a generous person until I've been able to say, "I have enough. Anything else God gives me I will give away." instead of saying "I don't have enough yet myself. I can't give anything away."