Proverbs 23

This chapter stands at the center of the section of Proverbs known as "the words of the wise" (Proverbs 22:17–24:22). It continues the short admonitions found in the latter half of Proverbs 22.

Outline

• Verses 1–3 When eating with a ruler, do not crave his food.
• Verses 4–5 Do not labor to be rich, for riches fly away like an eagle.
• Verses 6–8 Do not eat the bread of one who has an evil eye (a stingy person).
• Verse 9 Do not speak in the ears of a fool.
• Verses 10–11 Do not remove the old landmark (the boundary stone) or enter the fields of the fatherless, for their redeemer is mighty.
• Verses 12–14 Apply your heart to instruction. Disciplining a child with the rod delivers his soul from hell.
• Verses 15–18 Do not envy the prosperity of sinners, but fear the LORD.
• Verses 19–21 Do not keep company with winebibbers and riotous eaters of flesh.
• Verses 22–25 Listen to your parents; buy the truth and do not sell it.
• Verses 26–28 The father urges, "give me thine heart," and warns against the harlot.
• Verses 29–35 A portrait of the woes and addiction of those who tarry long at the wine.

Key Verses

• Proverbs 23:4–5 "Labour not to be rich" offers a brief image of the transience of wealth.
• Proverbs 23:26 "My son, give me thine heart" shows that all the instruction in this chapter is directed toward the orientation of the heart.
• Proverbs 23:31 "Look not thou upon the wine" is frequently cited as a biblical text on alcohol.

People and Places

No person or place is mentioned by name. The chapter takes the form of a "father" instructing "my son." The word "redeemer" in verse 11 translates the Hebrew go'el, which refers to the kinsman-redeemer, who protects vulnerable relatives on their behalf. In this passage the title is applied to God.

Points for Reflection

• Scholars have long noted that Proverbs 22:17–23:11 contains passages resembling the ancient Egyptian wisdom text The Instruction of Amenemope. Researchers differ on how this relationship should be understood.
• Interpretations of the rod in verses 13–14 are divided. Some read it as grounds for actual corporal punishment, while others regard it as an ancient idiom emphasizing the importance of discipline. The latter reading pairs it with "provoke not your children to wrath" in Ephesians 6:4.
• The warning about wine in verses 29–35 figures in discussions of alcohol and tobacco. Some read the passage as grounds for total abstinence, while others read it as a warning against drunkenness and addiction.
• Verses 4–5 are often read alongside 1 Timothy 6:9–10, and verse 17 alongside Psalm 73.

In the Korean Church

Korean Protestantism has emphasized abstinence from alcohol since its early days. For this reason, verses 29–35 are frequently used in sermons and Sunday school lessons on the harmfulness of alcohol.