1 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you; 2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite. 3 Do not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food. 4 Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! 5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven. 6 Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies; 7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you. 8 The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words. 9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words. 10 Do not remove the ancient landmark, Nor enter the fields of the fatherless; 11 For their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you. 12 Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge. 13 Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. 14 You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell. 15 My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself; 16 Yes, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things. 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; 18 For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off. 19 Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way. 20 Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags. 22 Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old. 23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. 24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him. 25 Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice. 26 My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways. 27 For a harlot is a deep pit, And a seductress is a narrow well. 28 She also lies in wait as for a victim, And increases the unfaithful among men. 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. 31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. 34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”
Vs. 1-3 When you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you; 2 And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite. 3 Do not desire his delicacies, For they are deceptive food.
Here we are cautioned about being enraptured with the wealth and privileges of the elite, of yielding to our own lusts and desires when we are brought before them, before the rulers and rich of this world and age. Because to all of them we are just a mere pawn to be used in their desires service. And so being invited to their table is never done out of friendship or love for us, but rather they only do such things to try to sway us into serving their own interests, desires, and designs, as well as to blind us to the consequences of doing so. And so being invited to their “generous” table is like being fattened up before the slaughter, before they make a “request” of us to do or say something which again will only serve their own designs or desires, but very well may cost us dearly in the end. Do not then become enraptured with either their person or their table, for again we as ordinary people are only a mere pawn to them, whom they will abandon to our own fate when things go astray, if you allow yourselves to get involved with them and their deceitful ways.
Vs. 4-5 4 Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! 5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.
Though there is profit in all labor, in working to provide for oneself and family, there is no profit in overworking to be rich, in living for and the striving for temporary wealth, which always comes at the expense of one’s person and life and soul. For as Jesus warns us all, “No one can serve God and money, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to one and despise the other”, you cannot serve God and mammon! (see Matt. 6:24). Therefore, what will it profit you if you gain the whole world but loose your own soul (Mark 8:36-39). For as the Scripture warns turning aside from God and chasing temporary and uncertain riches, that only make themselves wings and fly toward heaven, will not profit or deliver you on the Day of wrath (Psalm 49:6-9), but will only set you on a course that will lead you far away from God, far away from your once most cherished relationships, far away from contentment and peace and love, for all that is of this world is nothing (1 Sam. 12:21). Therefore don’t trade your eternal place and riches with Christ for the temporary pursuit of them.
Vs. 6-8 6 Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies; 7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you. 8 The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up, And waste your pleasant words.
Here we are warned about eating at the table of a miser; of a person who skimps on everything. For though you may go to their table in joy, just as one should when invited to someone’s house for dinner, truly they have no joy in sharing with you. Indeed, though they invite you to eat and drink with them, yet they will scrupulously watch everything that you eat and drink at their table and soon you will begin to realize that, that they have no joy in hosting and sharing with you, or anyone else, as little looks and comments about how much is being consumed begin to subtly come out. And so, all of your gracious words that you have spoken in their hearing will all be wasted as their mood will soon turn sour against you, and you feeling their displeasure will vomit up the meal you have eaten, that is you will wish that you had not taken up a seat with them at their “generous” table, for your far better off to stay at home and go hungry then to eat there and go through that. That said, hosting people is a joy and privilege, for it is a great time of enjoying each others company, and of celebrating and sharing God’s bountifully blessings that He has given to us all. Yet to the miser it is only a burden that they must grudgingly bear, that they should have to share with their guests, or even their family. Therefore, if you can avoid doing do so, do so, for the experience will leave a bad taste in your mouth long after that “meal” is gone.
Vs. 9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.
Speaking in the hearing of the fool and sharing wise counsel with them, especially God’s counsels, is like casting one’s pearls before swine, (consider Matt. 7:6). Therefore don’t do it, for they will not receive your words, instead they will only despise the wisdom of them, because by them their foolish beliefs and behavior becomes known to them.
Vs. 10-11 10 Do not remove the ancient landmark, Nor enter the fields of the fatherless; 11 For their Redeemer is mighty; He will plead their cause against you.
Once again, we
are warned about dealing unjustly, about removing ancient landmarks (see Pr.
22:28) so as to expand our own territory, or seizing land or produce from the
fatherless, i.e., entering the fields of the poor and defenseless who
cannot pay their debt. For God is their Redeemer and He will plead their case
against you (James 2:5-7).
Note: In ancient times a near relative could act as one’s redeemer to buy back or redeem either their person or their land if they themselves were not able. Yet this Biblical principal is far more reaching than that (see Lev 25:29-34, 47-55; 2 Sam. 7:23; Psalm 72:12-14; 119:154; Jer. 15:21; Hosea 13:14; Titus 2:11-15).
Vs. 12 Apply your heart to instruction, And your ears to words of knowledge.
The appeal to receive God's instruction and to listen to words of knowledge can never be overstated.
Vs. 13-14 13 Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. 14 You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.
By this Proverb we see the virtuous results of corporal punishment when done in love and not in anger, to bring about a child's correction. That said this passage must never be used as a guise as doing good by those twisted individuals who would use it to justify abusing children, either their own or another's.
Vs. 15-16 15 My son, if your heart is wise, My heart will rejoice—indeed, I myself; 16 Yes, my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak right things.
A father has no greater joy then to know his own son conducts himself wisely, and when he speaks right things, Godly and true things, and thus does not regurgitate through his own mouth the moral lies and falsehoods of this world.
Vs. 17-18 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; 18 For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.
In the Book of Job, through Jobs experiences and his own words we learn that the wicked do not always get what they deserve, that sometimes it is the righteous who are afflicted and terribly mistreated (Psalm 34:19; 2 Tim. 3:12; James 5:10-11; 1 Peter 4:12-19 etc.) and that sometimes it is those who are living sinful and wicked lives who are prosperous and at ease (Psalm 73:1-28; Jer. 12:1-2; Malachi 3:15 etc.). Nonetheless as the Scripture makes it clear here and elsewhere God’s eyes are always on their ways, and when He deems the time is right, He will repay them and reward everyone who is faithful to Him (Job 24:22-25; Psalm 1:1-6; 37:1-2; 58:1-11; 59:8-10; 92:7; 112:1-10; Prov. 15:3; 24:19-20; Lam. 3:22-41 etc.). Our hope then is that the Lord is a God of justice, for truly there will be resurrection of the just and the unjust by which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will be our Judge (John 5:24). Therefore we must never envy the temporary prosperity and ease of those who are now living wicked lives because their end no will envy then!
Vs. 19 Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way.
Once again, a caring father exhorts his son to keep
to pathway of life. For listening to God’s counsels in His Word will always guide
you safely home (Psalm 119:105, 140, 160; John 17:17; Hebrews 4:12).
Vs. 20-21 20 Do not mix with winebibbers, Or with gluttonous eaters of meat; 21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
The choosing of one’s friends, and or choosing who one socializes with is a simple but often overlooked virtue of wisdom. Because inevitably you will be drawn into their manner of life, whether good or evil. Therefore we are here exhorted to stay clear of those given to excesses, not to eat and drink with them, for they're manner of life will always squander whatever resources that they have on their excesses.
Vs. 22 Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.
Growing up and moving into adulthood and beyond never means shunning the life wisdom of your parents.
Vs. 23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.
In this wayward and demonically influenced and swayed
world, if we want to stay loyal to God we must always cherish and hold fast to His
Words truths, for it is only by it that we get unadulterated wisdom and
instruction and understanding. Buying His wisdom and seeking His Words truth
should be our highest treasure! Now how we buy His Words wisdom and truth is by our investing our own time in it, in studying it, and seeking to live it out.
Vs. 24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.
How can they not, since their child not only bears their family name well, but they also bring to them a good name as being sound people and parents. And that’s just one of the many blessings and joys of rearing a righteous child that will come to you. Another is that having a wise child will not only mean that they will keep themselves out of all sorts of sorrows and troubles, but you yourselves will also have a much more peaceful and prosperous and delightful life! Don’t then take shortcuts in your parenting role, and don’t turn that most crucial God given life role over to others. Take the time to do the job right and then reap all benefits and rewards of having done so.
Vs. 25 Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice.
From the parents’ responsibilities in the previous proverb the Scripture now moves to the child’s, that children, even adult children should seek to bring joy to their parents’ lives by living wise and gracious lives.
Vs. 26-28 26 My son, give me your heart, And let your eyes observe my ways. 27 For a harlot is a deep pit, And a seductress is a narrow well. 28 She also lies in wait as for a victim, And increases the unfaithful among men.
Here the loving father warns his son about the immoral women, the harlot who finds her pleasure in luring another victim to her bed of sin, that getting involved with her is like being trapped in a narrow well! Nothing good then comes out of being involved with her, for her whole life is about finding then luring another lover. For it is by these that she finds her self-worth and pleasure.
Vs. 29-35 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. 31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; 32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. 34 Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying: 35 “They have struck me, but I was not hurt; They have beaten me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake, that I may seek another drink?”
Scripture Quotations
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