Proverbs 23 Study Notes: Riches, Discipline, and the Drunkard
More sayings of the wise warn against greed at a ruler's table, wearing oneself out for wealth that soon vanishes, and stealing land from orphans who have a strong Redeemer. A father urges loving correction of children and reverence for God, then closes with a vivid poem on the misery and grip of drunkenness.
General
According to 23:10-11, why must no one seize land belonging to orphans?
Answer: Their powerful Redeemer will plead their cause against you
Israel’s land was divided among families as an inheritance from God, and old boundary stones marked each family’s share (Deuteronomy 19:14). Shifting a marker quietly stole a neighbor’s land, and orphans were easy targets because no father could defend them. The saying forbids both shifting an old marker and taking over land that belongs to orphans (23:10). The reason is that the orphans do have a defender: their Redeemer is mighty and will argue their case against the thief (23:11). A redeemer was a close relative who stood up for a family member in trouble. The verse does not name this Redeemer, but a similar saying in the previous chapter says the LORD Himself will take up the case of the poor against anyone who plunders them (22:22-23), Scripture calls God a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5), and Jeremiah names the strong Redeemer who pleads His people’s case as the LORD Himself (Jeremiah 50:34).
- Proverbs 23:10-11 (BSB)“Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.”The son is forbidden to shift old property markers or take land from orphans, with the reason given.
- Deuteronomy 19:14 (BSB)“You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.”The law forbade moving a neighbor’s boundary marker, which marked the inheritance God gave.
- Jeremiah 50:34 (BSB)“Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of Hosts is His name. He will fervently plead their case so that He may bring rest to the earth, but turmoil to those who live in Babylon.”Jeremiah uses the same picture of Israel’s strong Redeemer who pleads His people’s case.
- Psalm 68:5 (BSB)“A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.”God is called a father of the fatherless and a defender of widows.
- Proverbs 22:22-23 (BSB)“Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.”The LORD will take up the cause of the poor against those who rob them.
Theological
What reason does 23:11 give for not encroaching on orphans’ fields?
Answer: Their powerful Redeemer will plead their cause against you
The ancient boundary stones marked each family’s allotted inheritance in the land (Deuteronomy 19:14), and removing them, especially at the expense of the fatherless, was theft from the defenseless (23:10). The sanction comes from above: the orphans’ Redeemer is strong and will contend for them against the oppressor (23:11). The verse leaves the Redeemer unnamed, but a saying in the previous chapter has the LORD Himself take up the cause of the afflicted and plunder their plunderers (22:22-23), Psalm 68:5 calls God the father of orphans, and Jeremiah 50:34 identifies the strong Redeemer who fervently pleads His people’s cause as the LORD Himself.
- Proverbs 23:10-11 (BSB)“Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.”The son is forbidden to shift old property markers or take land from orphans, with the reason given.
- Deuteronomy 19:14 (BSB)“You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker, which was set up by your ancestors to mark the inheritance you shall receive in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.”The law forbade moving a neighbor’s boundary marker, which marked the inheritance God gave.
- Jeremiah 50:34 (BSB)“Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of Hosts is His name. He will fervently plead their case so that He may bring rest to the earth, but turmoil to those who live in Babylon.”Jeremiah uses the same picture of Israel’s strong Redeemer who pleads His people’s case.
- Psalm 68:5 (BSB)“A father of the fatherless and a defender of widows is God in His holy habitation.”God is called a father of the fatherless and a defender of widows.
- Proverbs 22:22-23 (BSB)“Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate, for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who rob them.”The LORD will take up the cause of the poor against those who rob them.
General
What does 23:23 tell the son to do with truth, wisdom, and understanding?
Answer: Acquire them at any price and never give them up
The father first urges his son to listen to the father who gave him life and not to look down on his mother when she grows old (23:22), echoing the command to honor parents (Exodus 20:12). Then he uses the language of the marketplace: the son should buy truth and keep it off the market, along with wisdom, instruction, and understanding (23:23). Truth is worth any cost to obtain, and nothing is worth trading it for. Proverbs says elsewhere that wisdom is supreme and must be acquired above all else (4:7). Jesus uses a similar picture when He compares God’s kingdom to a precious pearl for which a merchant sold everything he owned (Matthew 13:45-46).
- Proverbs 23:22-23 (BSB)“Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Invest in truth and never sell it—in wisdom and instruction and understanding.”The son is told to heed his parents and to treat truth and wisdom as something worth acquiring and never giving up.
- Exodus 20:12 (BSB)“Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”God commands honoring father and mother.
- Proverbs 4:7 (BSB)“Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.”Wisdom is supreme, so it is to be acquired above all.
- Matthew 13:45-46 (BSB)“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.”Jesus pictures the kingdom as a pearl worth selling everything to obtain.
Theological
Using the language of the market, what does 23:23 urge concerning truth and wisdom?
Answer: Acquire them at any price and never give them up
Following the call to heed the father who begot him and not to despise an aged mother (23:22; compare Exodus 20:12), the father frames wisdom in market terms: truth is to be bought and never sold, together with wisdom, instruction, and understanding (23:23). Truth is to be gained at any cost and never exchanged for any gain. Proverbs 4:7 makes wisdom the supreme acquisition, and the parable of the pearl of great value (Matthew 13:45-46) applies the same logic of costly, wholehearted acquisition to the kingdom Christ proclaims.
- Proverbs 23:22-23 (BSB)“Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Invest in truth and never sell it—in wisdom and instruction and understanding.”The son is told to heed his parents and to treat truth and wisdom as something worth acquiring and never giving up.
- Exodus 20:12 (BSB)“Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”God commands honoring father and mother.
- Proverbs 4:7 (BSB)“Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.”Wisdom is supreme, so it is to be acquired above all.
- Matthew 13:45-46 (BSB)“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.”Jesus pictures the kingdom as a pearl worth selling everything to obtain.
General
What does the opening saying of chapter 23 urge a guest to do at a ruler’s banquet?
Answer: Hold his appetite in check, wary of the tempting food
The chapter opens at a powerful man’s table. The guest is to pay close attention to what is placed in front of him and to rein in a big appetite with a vivid picture of self-restraint (23:1-2). He is not to long for the ruler’s fine dishes, because they are not what they seem (23:3). A lavish meal from someone in power may come with strings attached, and a greedy guest can be drawn in or show a lack of self-control. The saying does not forbid eating; it calls for alertness and restraint. Proverbs elsewhere urges the same moderation with sweet things (25:16). Pleasant outward gifts, like smooth words, can hide another purpose (Psalm 55:21). Paul says God’s grace trains believers to say no to worldly passions and live sensible lives (Titus 2:12).
- Proverbs 23:1-3 (BSB)“When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you, and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.”The son is told how to conduct himself when invited to eat at a powerful man’s table.
- Proverbs 25:16 (BSB)“If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up.”Another saying urges the same restraint with pleasant food, taking only what is needed.
- Titus 2:12 (BSB)“It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,”Paul says God’s grace trains believers to renounce worldly passions and live sensibly.
- Psalm 55:21 (BSB)“His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.”Smooth, pleasant outward speech can hide hostile intent, just as a lavish meal can serve a hidden purpose.
Theological
At a ruler’s table (23:1-3), what counsel does the sage give the guest?
Answer: Hold his appetite in check, wary of the tempting food
The saying addresses conduct at a powerful man’s table: careful attention to what is set out, and a strong image of restraining a large appetite (23:1-2), because the ruler’s delicacies are deceptive (23:3). Hospitality from the powerful may carry obligation or be used to take a man’s measure; appetite left unchecked exposes and entangles him. Restraint, not refusal, is the counsel. Proverbs 25:16 counsels the same moderation, Psalm 55:21 shows how an attractive exterior can mask hostile intent, and Titus 2:12 grounds self-control in the training of grace, which teaches believers to renounce worldly passions.
- Proverbs 23:1-3 (BSB)“When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you, and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive.”The son is told how to conduct himself when invited to eat at a powerful man’s table.
- Proverbs 25:16 (BSB)“If you find honey, eat just what you need, lest you have too much and vomit it up.”Another saying urges the same restraint with pleasant food, taking only what is needed.
- Titus 2:12 (BSB)“It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,”Paul says God’s grace trains believers to renounce worldly passions and live sensibly.
- Psalm 55:21 (BSB)“His speech is smooth as butter, but war is in his heart. His words are softer than oil, yet they are swords unsheathed.”Smooth, pleasant outward speech can hide hostile intent, just as a lavish meal can serve a hidden purpose.
General
True or False: In 23:19-21, the father warns that keeping company with heavy drinkers and gluttons leads to poverty and rags.
Answer: True
This is true. The father calls his son to listen, be wise, and keep his heart headed the right way (23:19). He warns him not to join those who overindulge in wine or stuff themselves with meat (23:20), because heavy drinkers and gluttons end up poor, and their sluggishness leaves them dressed in rags (23:21). The concern is both the habit and the company, since companions shape character. Proverbs says running with gluttons brings shame on a father (28:7), that loving pleasure and wine leads away from wealth (21:17), and that walking with the wise makes one wise while running with fools brings ruin (13:20).
- Proverbs 23:19-21 (BSB)“Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course. Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.”The father warns his son away from heavy drinkers and gluttons and states where their way leads.
- Proverbs 21:17 (BSB)“He who loves pleasure will become poor; the one who loves wine and oil will never be rich.”Loving pleasure, wine, and oil leads away from wealth.
- Proverbs 28:7 (BSB)“A discerning son keeps the law, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.”A companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
- Proverbs 13:20 (BSB)“He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”The company one keeps shapes whether one becomes wise or is destroyed.
Theological
True or False: 23:19-21 warns that joining heavy drinkers and gluttons ends in poverty and rags.
Answer: True
This is true. The call to hear and direct the heart rightly (23:19) introduces a prohibition against joining those who drink wine to excess or gorge on meat (23:20), because drunkard and glutton alike end in want and their torpor clothes them in rags (23:21). The warning concerns both the vice and the company that fosters it. Proverbs 28:7 links companionship with gluttons to a father’s disgrace, 21:17 ties the love of pleasure and wine to want, and 13:20 states the general law that companions shape character.
- Proverbs 23:19-21 (BSB)“Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course. Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.”The father warns his son away from heavy drinkers and gluttons and states where their way leads.
- Proverbs 21:17 (BSB)“He who loves pleasure will become poor; the one who loves wine and oil will never be rich.”Loving pleasure, wine, and oil leads away from wealth.
- Proverbs 28:7 (BSB)“A discerning son keeps the law, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.”A companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
- Proverbs 13:20 (BSB)“He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”The company one keeps shapes whether one becomes wise or is destroyed.
General
In 23:17-18, what should the son do instead of envying sinners, and why?
Answer: Keep fearing the LORD, since a sure hope and future lie ahead
The son is told not to let his heart envy sinners but to keep revering the LORD all day long (23:17). The fear of the LORD means reverent trust and obedience toward God. The reason is that there truly is a future, and his hope will not come to nothing (23:18). Sinners may seem to prosper now, but the one who walks with God has something lasting ahead. David makes the same point: do not envy wrongdoers, because they soon dry up like grass (Psalm 37:1-2). Asaph confesses he once envied the prosperous wicked, until he went into God’s sanctuary and understood their end (Psalm 73:3, 17).
- Proverbs 23:17-18 (BSB)“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD. For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”The son is told not to envy sinners but to keep fearing the LORD, and is given a reason.
- Psalm 37:1-2 (BSB)“Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.”David urges not envying wrongdoers, because they quickly wither.
- Psalm 73:3 (BSB)“For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”Asaph admits he envied the arrogant when he saw their prosperity.
- Psalm 73:17 (BSB)“until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end.”His envy ended when he entered God’s sanctuary and understood their end.
Theological
What alternative to envying sinners does 23:17-18 commend, and on what ground?
Answer: Keep fearing the LORD, since a sure hope and future lie ahead
Envy of sinners is set against continual fear of the LORD (23:17), and the ground is hope for what lies ahead: there is surely a future, and the hope of the God-fearer will not perish (23:18). The apparent success of the wicked is temporary; the future belongs to those who revere God. Psalm 37:1-2 grounds the same prohibition in the swift withering of evildoers, and Psalm 73:3, 17 traces the cure for such envy to discerning the end of the wicked in God’s presence.
- Proverbs 23:17-18 (BSB)“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always continue in the fear of the LORD. For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”The son is told not to envy sinners but to keep fearing the LORD, and is given a reason.
- Psalm 37:1-2 (BSB)“Of David. Do not fret over those who do evil; do not envy those who do wrong. For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants.”David urges not envying wrongdoers, because they quickly wither.
- Psalm 73:3 (BSB)“For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”Asaph admits he envied the arrogant when he saw their prosperity.
- Psalm 73:17 (BSB)“until I entered God’s sanctuary; then I discerned their end.”His envy ended when he entered God’s sanctuary and understood their end.
General
What does the father in chapter 23 say will make his own heart glad?
Answer: Hearing his son speak upright words from a wise heart
The father tells his son that if the son’s heart becomes wise, the father’s own heart will be glad, and his innermost self will be glad when the son’s speech is upright (23:15-16). Later in the chapter both parents are pictured rejoicing over a righteous, wise son, and the father wishes that the mother who bore him may share that joy (23:24-25). The father’s joy is not in success or riches but in his son’s character. Proverbs opens its main collection with the same idea: a wise son gladdens his father (10:1). The apostle John similarly says nothing brings him more joy than hearing that his spiritual children are living by the truth (3 John 1:4).
- Proverbs 23:15-16 (BSB)“My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice. My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.”The father speaks of his own joy when his son’s heart and speech are wise.
- Proverbs 23:24-25 (BSB)“The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him. May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice!”The father and mother of a righteous, wise son are pictured rejoicing.
- Proverbs 10:1 (BSB)“The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.”A wise son brings joy to his father, while a foolish son grieves his mother.
- 3 John 1:4 (BSB)“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”John has no greater joy than hearing that his spiritual children walk in the truth.
Theological
In 23:15-16, what does the father say will gladden his inmost being?
Answer: Hearing his son speak upright words from a wise heart
The father’s gladness is tied to the son’s wisdom of heart and uprightness of speech (23:15-16), and both parents are pictured delighting in a righteous and wise son, with a wish that the mother who bore him may rejoice (23:24-25). The joy is in character, not achievement. Proverbs 10:1 sets the same principle at the start of the collection of Solomon’s proverbs that begins in chapter 10, and 3 John 1:4 expresses the apostolic counterpart: nothing gladdens more than spiritual children who live by the truth.
- Proverbs 23:15-16 (BSB)“My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will indeed rejoice. My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.”The father speaks of his own joy when his son’s heart and speech are wise.
- Proverbs 23:24-25 (BSB)“The father of a righteous man will greatly rejoice, and he who fathers a wise son will delight in him. May your father and mother be glad, and may she who gave you birth rejoice!”The father and mother of a righteous, wise son are pictured rejoicing.
- Proverbs 10:1 (BSB)“The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.”A wise son brings joy to his father, while a foolish son grieves his mother.
- 3 John 1:4 (BSB)“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”John has no greater joy than hearing that his spiritual children walk in the truth.
General
How does 23:27-28 picture the prostitute and the adulteress?
Answer: As a deep hole, a narrow well, and a lurking robber
The father asks his son to hand over his heart and to let his eyes take pleasure in the father’s ways (23:26). The heart matters because it directs the whole life (4:23). He then compares the prostitute to a deep hole in the ground and the adulteress to a tight, narrow well, pictures of a trap from which it is hard to climb out (23:27). She waits in ambush as a thief would and makes unfaithful men more numerous (23:28). The warning is addressed to a son about a specific danger, and it uses images of being trapped and robbed. Proverbs uses the same image of a deep hole for an adulteress’s mouth (22:14) and says the forbidden woman’s home leads down to death (7:27).
- Proverbs 23:26-28 (BSB)“My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways. For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well. Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men.”The father asks for his son’s heart and warns him about the prostitute and the adulteress.
- Proverbs 22:14 (BSB)“The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.”The adulteress’s mouth is pictured as a deep pit that traps the one under God’s wrath.
- Proverbs 7:27 (BSB)“Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.”The forbidden woman’s house is described as the road to Sheol.
- Proverbs 4:23 (BSB)“Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.”The heart must be guarded, because life flows from it.
Theological
How does 23:27-28 portray the prostitute and the adulteress?
Answer: As a deep hole, a narrow well, and a lurking robber
The father’s appeal for his son’s heart and eyes (23:26) is the positive safeguard, since the heart is the wellspring of life (4:23). The warning follows: the prostitute is a bottomless hole and the adulteress a narrow well, images of a trap that is hard to escape (23:27), and she waits in ambush like a robber, adding to the number of unfaithful men (23:28). Proverbs 22:14 uses the same deep-hole image for an adulteress’s mouth, and 7:27 says her home leads down to Sheol. The address is to a son about a specific peril, not a statement about women generally.
- Proverbs 23:26-28 (BSB)“My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways. For a prostitute is a deep pit, and an adulteress is a narrow well. Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men.”The father asks for his son’s heart and warns him about the prostitute and the adulteress.
- Proverbs 22:14 (BSB)“The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.”The adulteress’s mouth is pictured as a deep pit that traps the one under God’s wrath.
- Proverbs 7:27 (BSB)“Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.”The forbidden woman’s house is described as the road to Sheol.
- Proverbs 4:23 (BSB)“Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.”The heart must be guarded, because life flows from it.
General
In 23:4-5, what picture shows why exhausting yourself in the pursuit of riches is foolish?
Answer: Wealth sprouting wings and flying off like an eagle
The sage tells his son not to exhaust himself chasing riches and to have the good sense to hold back (23:4). The reason is pictured memorably: take one look at wealth and it is gone, as if it grew wings and flew off into the sky like an eagle (23:5). Money is not evil in itself, but it is uncertain and cannot bear the weight of a life built around it. Paul tells the rich not to set their hope on uncertain wealth but on God, who gives richly (1 Timothy 6:17). Those who crave riches fall into traps that lead to ruin (1 Timothy 6:9), and Jesus urges His followers to store up treasure in heaven, where it cannot be lost (Matthew 6:19-20).
- Proverbs 23:4-5 (BSB)“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.”The sage warns against exhausting oneself in pursuit of wealth and gives a picture of how quickly it vanishes.
- 1 Timothy 6:17 (BSB)“Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.”Paul warns the rich not to set their hope on uncertain wealth but on God.
- Matthew 6:19-20 (BSB)“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”Jesus contrasts earthly treasure that can be lost with treasure stored in heaven.
- 1 Timothy 6:9 (BSB)“Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.”The craving to be rich leads people into temptation, snares, and ruin.
Theological
What image does 23:5 use for the instability of wealth?
Answer: Wealth sprouting wings and flying off like an eagle
The prohibition against wearing oneself out for riches is paired with a call to wise restraint (23:4), and the reason is an image of sudden loss: a glance at wealth and it has vanished, having grown wings and flown skyward like an eagle (23:5). Wealth is not condemned but relativized; it is too unstable to be a life’s aim. Paul likewise forbids the rich to rest their hope on unstable riches rather than on God (1 Timothy 6:17), warns that the desire to be rich ensnares and destroys (1 Timothy 6:9), and Christ redirects the heart to heavenly treasure beyond the reach of decay and theft (Matthew 6:19-20).
- Proverbs 23:4-5 (BSB)“Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself. When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.”The sage warns against exhausting oneself in pursuit of wealth and gives a picture of how quickly it vanishes.
- 1 Timothy 6:17 (BSB)“Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.”Paul warns the rich not to set their hope on uncertain wealth but on God.
- Matthew 6:19-20 (BSB)“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”Jesus contrasts earthly treasure that can be lost with treasure stored in heaven.
- 1 Timothy 6:9 (BSB)“Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.”The craving to be rich leads people into temptation, snares, and ruin.
General
What purpose does 23:14 give for a parent’s correction with the rod?
Answer: To rescue the child from the road that ends in death
The saying tells a parent not to hold back correction from a young one, adding that correction with the rod will not kill him (23:13). Then it states the goal: correction rescues the child from Sheol, the realm of the dead (23:14). In other words, discipline is an act of love that turns a child away from the path of folly, which in Proverbs leads to ruin and death. Proverbs says the parent who loves a son takes pains to discipline him, while the one who holds back the rod does not truly love him (13:24). It also says folly is tied fast to a child’s heart and correction drives it away (22:15), and that disciplining a son gives him hope rather than leaving him to destruction (19:18). The New Testament tells fathers to raise children in the Lord’s instruction without provoking them to anger (Ephesians 6:4).
- Proverbs 23:13-14 (BSB)“Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die. Strike him with a rod, and you will deliver his soul from Sheol.”A parent is told not to hold back correction from a child, with the purpose of that correction stated.
- Proverbs 22:15 (BSB)“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.”Folly is lodged in a child’s heart, and correction drives it away.
- Proverbs 19:18 (BSB)“Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be party to his death.”Discipline gives hope for a son, and neglecting it contributes to his ruin.
- Proverbs 13:24 (BSB)“He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.”The parent who loves a son disciplines him diligently, while sparing the rod is called hating him.
- Ephesians 6:4 (BSB)“Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”Fathers are to bring up children in the Lord’s discipline without provoking them to anger.
Theological
According to 23:14, for what purpose does a parent correct a child with the rod?
Answer: To rescue the child from the road that ends in death
The saying forbids withholding discipline, assuring the parent that the correction will not be fatal (23:13), and states its aim: to deliver the child’s soul from Sheol (23:14). Discipline is loving correction ordered to the child’s life, set against the folly that in Proverbs ends in death. Withholding the rod is a failure of love, while the loving parent disciplines with diligence (13:24). Folly is lodged in a child’s heart and correction removes it (22:15); to discipline is to give hope, and to neglect it is to share in the child’s ruin (19:18). Ephesians 6:4 frames parental discipline as training in the Lord that does not exasperate the child.
- Proverbs 23:13-14 (BSB)“Do not withhold discipline from a child; although you strike him with a rod, he will not die. Strike him with a rod, and you will deliver his soul from Sheol.”A parent is told not to hold back correction from a child, with the purpose of that correction stated.
- Proverbs 22:15 (BSB)“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.”Folly is lodged in a child’s heart, and correction drives it away.
- Proverbs 19:18 (BSB)“Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be party to his death.”Discipline gives hope for a son, and neglecting it contributes to his ruin.
- Proverbs 13:24 (BSB)“He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.”The parent who loves a son disciplines him diligently, while sparing the rod is called hating him.
- Ephesians 6:4 (BSB)“Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”Fathers are to bring up children in the Lord’s discipline without provoking them to anger.
General
Why does 23:6-8 warn against eating at a stingy man’s table?
Answer: His welcome is false, and he begrudges every bite
This saying describes a grudging host. He urges his guest to eat and drink, but inside he is tallying the cost of every mouthful, and he does not truly wish his guest well (23:6-7). The meal ends badly: the guest will feel like throwing up what little he ate, and his polite compliments will have been wasted (23:8). The lesson is that hospitality without real goodwill brings no joy, and a wise person pays attention to the heart behind an invitation, not just the words. Proverbs warns elsewhere that gracious speech can cover deceit (26:24-25), and Paul says genuine love has no pretense (Romans 12:9).
- Proverbs 23:6-8 (BSB)“Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, and do not crave his delicacies; for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.”The son is warned about accepting a meal from a grudging host whose welcome is not sincere.
- Proverbs 26:24-25 (BSB)“A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart. When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.”A hateful man disguises himself with gracious speech while deceit fills his heart.
- Romans 12:9 (BSB)“Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.”Paul insists that love must be sincere, the opposite of the stingy host’s pretended welcome.
Theological
What is wrong with the stingy host described in 23:6-8?
Answer: His welcome is false, and he begrudges every bite
The grudging host presses food and drink on his guest while inwardly reckoning the cost, his heart estranged from the guest (23:6-7). The outcome is disgust and wasted courtesies: the guest will want to bring up the little he ate, and his gracious words are spent for nothing (23:8). The saying exposes the gap between outward generosity and the inner disposition; wisdom reads the heart behind the invitation. Proverbs 26:24-25 warns that gracious speech can cloak a heart full of deceit, and Romans 12:9 demands that love be without hypocrisy.
- Proverbs 23:6-8 (BSB)“Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, and do not crave his delicacies; for he is keeping track, inwardly counting the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.”The son is warned about accepting a meal from a grudging host whose welcome is not sincere.
- Proverbs 26:24-25 (BSB)“A hateful man disguises himself with his speech, but he lays up deceit in his heart. When he speaks graciously, do not believe him, for seven abominations fill his heart.”A hateful man disguises himself with gracious speech while deceit fills his heart.
- Romans 12:9 (BSB)“Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.”Paul insists that love must be sincere, the opposite of the stingy host’s pretended welcome.
General
What contrast does 23:31-32 draw about wine?
Answer: It is inviting at first but at last it strikes like a snake
The son is told not to stare at wine when it glows red, glitters as it is poured, and slides down easily (23:31). That is the appeal. The end is different: it strikes like a serpent and injects venom like a viper (23:32). The drinker’s eyes then see strange sights and his mind speaks twisted things (23:33). The passage sets the pleasant beginning against the painful end, a pattern Proverbs often uses. A path may seem right yet end in death (14:12), and the forbidden woman seems sweet but ends bitter (5:3-5). Jesus also warns that drunkenness can weigh down the heart and leave a person unprepared (Luke 21:34).
- Proverbs 23:31-33 (BSB)“Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities.”The son is told not to be drawn in by wine’s appearance, and its outcome and effects are described.
- Proverbs 14:12 (BSB)“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”A way can seem right while its end is death.
- Proverbs 5:3-5 (BSB)“Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil, in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol.”Like wine here, the forbidden woman seems sweet at first but in the end is bitter and deadly.
- Luke 21:34 (BSB)“But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.”Jesus warns that drunkenness can weigh the heart down and leave a person unready.
Theological
How does 23:31-32 contrast the appeal of wine with its outcome?
Answer: It is inviting at first but at last it strikes like a snake
The prohibition targets gazing at wine in its attractive red, sparkling, smooth-flowing form (23:31), and sets against that appeal its end: the bite of a serpent and the sting of a viper (23:32), followed by distorted perception and perverse speech (23:33). Proverbs repeatedly contrasts a pleasing beginning with a deadly end, as in the path that appears right (14:12) and the forbidden woman whose honeyed lips give way to bitterness (5:3-5). Christ warns that drunkenness weighs down the heart and leaves one unready (Luke 21:34).
- Proverbs 23:31-33 (BSB)“Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper. Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities.”The son is told not to be drawn in by wine’s appearance, and its outcome and effects are described.
- Proverbs 14:12 (BSB)“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”A way can seem right while its end is death.
- Proverbs 5:3-5 (BSB)“Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey and her speech is smoother than oil, in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to Sheol.”Like wine here, the forbidden woman seems sweet at first but in the end is bitter and deadly.
- Luke 21:34 (BSB)“But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.”Jesus warns that drunkenness can weigh the heart down and leave a person unready.
General
True or False: At the end of chapter 23, the drunkard learns his lesson from his injuries and resolves never to drink again.
Answer: False
This is false. The drunkard is pictured as unsteady as someone asleep on the open sea or lying on top of a ship’s mast (23:34). He says he was hit and beaten but felt nothing and did not even know it, and his first thought on waking is to go looking for another drink (23:35). Instead of learning from the harm, he goes straight back to it. This shows how drunkenness enslaves. Peter says people are enslaved by whatever overpowers them (2 Peter 2:19), and Proverbs compares a fool repeating his folly to a dog returning to its vomit (26:11). Paul calls believers to live decently and not in drunkenness (Romans 13:13).
- Proverbs 23:34-35 (BSB)“You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast: “They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I did not know it! When can I wake up to search for another drink?””The poem closes with the drunkard’s unsteady state and his own words on waking.
- 2 Peter 2:19 (BSB)“They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”A person is enslaved by whatever masters him.
- Proverbs 26:11 (BSB)“As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.”The fool returns to his folly like a dog to its vomit.
- Romans 13:13 (BSB)“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”Paul calls believers to live decently, not in drunkenness.
Theological
True or False: The drunkard of 23:34-35, having been beaten, resolves on waking to give up drink.
Answer: False
This is false. The drunkard reels like one lying far out at sea or atop a mast (23:34); insensible to the blows he has received, his waking thought is to seek another drink (23:35). The poem ends on the bondage of the habit: the harm does not correct him. Peter’s principle that people are enslaved by whatever overpowers them (2 Peter 2:19), the fool’s return to his folly (Proverbs 26:11), and Paul’s call to walk decently rather than in drunkenness (Romans 13:13) all bear on the picture.
- Proverbs 23:34-35 (BSB)“You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast: “They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I did not know it! When can I wake up to search for another drink?””The poem closes with the drunkard’s unsteady state and his own words on waking.
- 2 Peter 2:19 (BSB)“They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.”A person is enslaved by whatever masters him.
- Proverbs 26:11 (BSB)“As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.”The fool returns to his folly like a dog to its vomit.
- Romans 13:13 (BSB)“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.”Paul calls believers to live decently, not in drunkenness.
General
In 23:29-30, who is the answer to the string of questions about woe, quarrels, and wounds?
Answer: Those who stay long at the wine and seek out mixed drinks
The poem opens with six rapid questions: who has woe, sorrow, quarrels, complaints, pointless injuries, and bloodshot eyes (23:29)? The answer comes in the next verse: people who stay long at their wine and go looking for mixed drinks (23:30). The questions list the painful results of drunkenness, from inner misery to fights and wounds that did not need to happen, before naming the cause. Proverbs calls wine a mocker and strong drink a brawler (20:1). Isaiah pronounces woe on those who chase strong drink from morning into the evening (Isaiah 5:11), and Paul warns that drunkenness leads to reckless living (Ephesians 5:18).
- Proverbs 23:29-30 (BSB)“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks.”A series of questions about sorrow and injury is answered by describing the heavy drinker.
- Proverbs 20:1 (BSB)“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.”Wine is called a mocker and strong drink a brawler that leads people astray.
- Isaiah 5:11 (BSB)“Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.”Isaiah pronounces woe on those who pursue strong drink from morning to evening.
- Ephesians 5:18 (BSB)“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”Paul warns against drunkenness, which leads to reckless indiscretion.
Theological
What answer does 23:30 give to the questions of 23:29?
Answer: Those who stay long at the wine and seek out mixed drinks
The drinking poem opens with a rhetorical catalog of misery: woe, sorrow, strife, complaint, needless wounds, and bloodshot eyes (23:29). Only then is the cause named: those who sit long at the wine and go off to sample blended drinks (23:30). The consequences are laid out before the cause is identified, so that the reader weighs the cost first. Proverbs 20:1 personifies wine as a mocker and strong drink as a brawler, Isaiah 5:11 pronounces woe on those who pursue strong drink from dawn to dusk, and Ephesians 5:18 forbids drunkenness as the road to dissipation.
- Proverbs 23:29-30 (BSB)“Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks.”A series of questions about sorrow and injury is answered by describing the heavy drinker.
- Proverbs 20:1 (BSB)“Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by them is not wise.”Wine is called a mocker and strong drink a brawler that leads people astray.
- Isaiah 5:11 (BSB)“Woe to those who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger into the evening, to be inflamed by wine.”Isaiah pronounces woe on those who pursue strong drink from morning to evening.
- Ephesians 5:18 (BSB)“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”Paul warns against drunkenness, which leads to reckless indiscretion.
General
True or False: According to 23:9, a wise person should always keep talking to a fool until the fool accepts good counsel.
Answer: False
This is false. The saying tells the son not to speak in the fool’s hearing, because the fool will only look down on the wisdom in those words (23:9). A fool, in Proverbs, is not someone lacking intelligence but someone who refuses correction. Pressing wisdom on such a person wastes it. The same point appears when Proverbs warns that correcting a mocker only earns hatred, while a wise person loves a rebuke (9:7-8), and when it says fools scorn wisdom and correction (1:7). Jesus likewise warns against throwing precious things before those who will trample them (Matthew 7:6).
- Proverbs 23:9 (BSB)“Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.”A brief saying about offering wise words to someone who will only despise them.
- Proverbs 9:7-8 (BSB)“He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself; he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself. Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”Correcting a mocker brings hatred and shame, while a wise man loves a rebuke.
- Matthew 7:6 (BSB)“Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”Jesus warns against giving what is holy to those who will trample it.
- Proverbs 1:7 (BSB)“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”Fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Theological
True or False: 23:9 counsels persisting in speaking wisdom to a fool until he accepts it.
Answer: False
This is false. The saying forbids speaking in a fool’s hearing, since he will only scorn the good sense in what is said (23:9). The fool of Proverbs is morally, not intellectually, deficient: he scorns instruction (1:7), and to rebuke a mocker invites hatred while a wise man welcomes correction (9:7-8). Wisdom includes discerning when counsel will be received. Christ gives the parallel warning not to cast what is holy before those who will trample it (Matthew 7:6).
- Proverbs 23:9 (BSB)“Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.”A brief saying about offering wise words to someone who will only despise them.
- Proverbs 9:7-8 (BSB)“He who corrects a mocker brings shame on himself; he who rebukes a wicked man taints himself. Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”Correcting a mocker brings hatred and shame, while a wise man loves a rebuke.
- Matthew 7:6 (BSB)“Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”Jesus warns against giving what is holy to those who will trample it.
- Proverbs 1:7 (BSB)“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”Fools despise wisdom and discipline.