Chapter Overview
Summary
Proverbs 23 continues the 'Sayings of the Wise' — with strong sections on contentment (vv. 4–5), hospitality-etiquette (vv. 1–3, 6–8), parental-concern (vv. 13–16, 22–25), and the perils of drunkenness (vv. 29–35). The closing drunkard-portrait ('who has woe? who has sorrow?') is one of the Bible's most vivid-descriptions of alcohol-abuse.
Notable Variants
23:4–5 'do not toil to acquire wealth … riches fly away like an eagle'; 23:20–21 warning against drunkards and gluttons; 23:29–35 extended drunkard-portrait anticipating NT alcohol-ethics (Eph 5:18).
Structural Notes
MT Prov 23 = LXX Prov 23. 35 verses.
When you sit down to eat with a ruler, pay careful attention to what is before you.
'When you sit down to eat with a ruler, observe carefully what is before you' tracks MT. Banquet-etiquette — counsel for-a-royal-table-visit.
Put a knife to your throat if you are a person with a big appetite.
'And put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite' tracks MT. Hyperbolic self-restraint warning.
Do not crave his delicacies, for they are deceptive food.
'Do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food' tracks MT.
Do not exhaust yourself chasing wealth; have the sense to stop.
'Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist' tracks MT. 1 Timothy 6:9 ('those who desire to be rich fall into temptation') extends.
Will you fix your gaze on what is already gone? Wealth sprouts wings for itself and flies off like an eagle toward the sky.
'When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven' tracks MT. RICHES-AS-EAGLE-IN-FLIGHT — wealth's transient-nature. Matthew 6:19 ('do not lay up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in') extends.
Do not eat the bread of a stingy host, and do not crave his delicacies.
'Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies' tracks MT.
For as he calculates inside himself, so he is. 'Eat! Drink!' he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
'For he is like one who is inwardly calculating. Eat and drink! he says to you, but his heart is not with you' tracks MT.
The little you have eaten you will vomit up, and your pleasant words will be wasted.
'You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten, and waste your pleasant words' tracks MT.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the insight of your words.
'Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words' tracks MT. // Matt 7:6 ('do not give what is holy to dogs, or cast your pearls before swine').
Do not move an ancient boundary marker, and do not encroach on the fields of orphans,
'Do not move an ancient landmark or enter the fields of the fatherless' tracks MT. // Prov 22:28. Fatherless-land protection.
because their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.
'For their Redeemer is strong; he will plead their cause against you' tracks MT. REDEEMER-STRONG (go'el chazaq / lytroutai autous ischyros). The REDEEMER-OF-THE-POOR theology. God-as-goel for fatherless. Job 19:25's 'I know that my Redeemer lives' and Ruth 3–4 (Boaz-as-redeemer) share the kinsman-redeemer vocabulary.
Bring your heart to discipline and your ears to words of knowledge.
'Apply your heart to instruction and your ear to words of knowledge' tracks MT.
Do not withhold discipline from a youth; if you strike him with the rod, he will not die.
'Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die' tracks MT. // Prov 22:15, 13:24.
You will strike him with the rod and rescue his life from Sheol.
'If you strike him with the rod, you will save his soul from Sheol' tracks MT. DISCIPLINE-SAVES-FROM-SHEOL eternal-rescue rationale.
My son, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice —
'My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad' tracks MT.
yes, my inmost being will celebrate when your lips speak what is right.
'My inmost being will exult when your lips speak what is right' tracks MT.
Do not let your heart envy sinners, but live in the fear of the LORD all day long.
'Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day' tracks MT.
For there is surely a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
'Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off' tracks MT. FUTURE-HOPE promise — afterlife-hinting text.
Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right path.
'Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way' tracks MT.
Do not be among heavy drinkers or among those who gorge on meat.
'Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat' tracks MT. ANTI-DRUNKARDS-AND-GLUTTONS. The charge leveled against Jesus (Matt 11:19 'behold, a GLUTTON AND A DRUNKARD') — using this Prov-vocabulary to insult the Messiah.
For the drunkard and the glutton will become poor, and drowsiness dresses you in rags.
'For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags' tracks MT.
Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
'Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old' tracks MT. HONOR-AGED-MOTHER. Mark 7:10–13 (Jesus' rebuke of Corban-evasion-of-filial-duty) extends.
Buy truth and never sell it — wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
'Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding' tracks MT. BUY-TRUTH-DO-NOT-SELL — truth as non-negotiable-commodity.
The father of a righteous person will greatly rejoice; whoever fathers a wise child will delight in him.
'The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him' tracks MT.
Let your father and mother be glad; let the woman who bore you rejoice.
'Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice' tracks MT.
My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes guard my ways.
'My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways' tracks MT. GIVE-ME-YOUR-HEART plea. Christologically read as Christ's call to wholehearted-discipleship.
For a prostitute is a deep pit, and a foreign woman is a narrow well.
'For a prostitute is a deep pit; an adulteress is a narrow well' tracks MT.
She too lies in ambush like a robber and multiplies the faithless among humanity.
'She lies in wait like a robber and increases the traitors among mankind' tracks MT.
Who has misery? Who has regret? Who has quarrels? Who has complaints? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?
'Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?' tracks MT. DRUNKARD-PORTRAIT begins — six-fold rhetorical question preparing the answer.
Those who linger over wine, those who go searching for mixed drinks.
'Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine' tracks MT. DRUNKARDS — the answer-to-v.29.
Do not gaze at wine when it glows red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
'Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly' tracks MT.
In the end it bites like a snake and strikes like a viper.
'In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder' tracks MT. WINE-AS-SERPENT imagery.
Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will speak distorted words.
'Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things' tracks MT.
You will be like someone lying down in the middle of the sea, like someone sprawled on top of the rigging.
'You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast' tracks MT. DIZZY-DRUNKARD imagery.
'They hit me, but I felt no pain. They beat me, but I didn't notice. When will I wake up? I need to find another drink.'
'They struck me, you will say, but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink' tracks MT. ADDICTION-VIGNETTE closes. Ephesians 5:18 ('do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit') directly extends.