Proverbs 23: Guard Your Heart and Appetite
The wise teacher warns against greed, gluttony, drunkenness, and lust, and pleads, give me your heart.
Proverbs 23 (WEB)
1 When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;
2 put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite.
3 Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.
4 Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
5 Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
6 Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies:
7 for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.
8 The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.
9 Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10 Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless:
11 for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.
12 Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
14 Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol.
15 My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine:
16 yes, my heart will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right.
17 Don’t let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear Yahweh all the day long.
18 Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!
20 Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:
21 for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
22 Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.
25 Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!
26 My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.
28 Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30 Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.
32 In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
34 Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
35 “They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I can find another.”
Proverbs 23 (KJV)
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11 For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
12 Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
15 My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
16 Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long.
18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
25 Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
26 My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
27 For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.
28 She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Proverbs 23 (ASV)
1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider diligently him that is before thee;
2 And put a knife to thy throat, If thou be a man given to appetite.
3 Be not desirous of his dainties; Seeing they are deceitful food.
4 Weary not thyself to be rich; Cease from thine own wisdom.
5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? Forrichescertainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
6 Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, Neither desire thou his dainties:
7 For as he thinketh within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
8 The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, And lose thy sweet words.
9 Speak not in the hearing of a fool; For he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
10 Remove not the ancient landmark; And enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
11 For their Redeemer is strong; He will plead their cause against thee.
12 Apply thy heart unto instruction, And thine ears to the words of knowledge.
13 Withhold not correction from the child; Forif thou beat him with the rod, he will not die.
14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, And shalt deliver his soul from Sheol.
15 My son, if thy heart be wise, My heart will be glad, even mine:
16 Yea, my heart will rejoice, When thy lips speak right things.
17 Let not thy heart envy sinners; Butbe thouin the fear of Jehovah all the day long:
18 For surely there is a reward; And thy hope shall not be cut off.
19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And guide thy heart in the way.
20 Be not among winebibbers, Among gluttonous eaters of flesh:
21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; And drowsiness will clothea manwith rags.
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, And despise not thy mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; Yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
24 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; And he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
25 Let thy father and thy mother be glad, And let her that bare thee rejoice.
26 My son, give me thy heart; And let thine eyes delight in my ways.
27 For a harlot is a deep ditch; And a foreign woman is a narrow pit.
28 Yea, she lieth in wait as a robber, And increaseth the treacherous among men.
29 Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? Who hath complaining? who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?
30 They that tarry long at the wine; They that go to seek out mixed wine.
31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, When it sparkleth in the cup, When it goeth down smoothly:
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
33 Thine eyes shall behold strange things, And thy heart shall utter perverse things.
34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not hurt; They have beaten me, and I felt it not: When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.
Summary
The words of the wise continue with vivid warnings about appetite and desire. When eating with a ruler, restrain yourself, and do not wear yourself out chasing riches that sprout wings and fly away. Refuse the food of a stingy host and do not waste counsel on a scornful fool. Again the teacher forbids moving the ancient boundary stone or robbing the fatherless, whose Defender is strong. He urges loving correction of children, refusing to envy sinners, and clinging to a sure future hope. A son is called to heed his father and mother, to buy the truth and never sell it, and to give his heart to the way of wisdom. The chapter closes with a striking portrait of the drunkard's woe, sorrow, and self-deception.
Main Characters
- The father/teacher — The instructor who pleads for his son's heart and warns him against ruinous appetites.
- The son — The learner urged to gain wisdom, honor his parents, and avoid drunkenness and lust.
- The drunkard — The one whose love of wine brings woe, sorrow, bruises, and confused, self-deceived ruin.
- The fatherless — The vulnerable whose fields must not be encroached upon, for their Defender is strong.
Key Verse
Proverbs 23:26 (WEB)
My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.
Lessons Learned
- Wisdom is something to be bought and never sold, prized above passing pleasures.
- Unchecked appetites for wealth, food, drink, and lust lead to ruin.
- Loving discipline of children is an act of care, not cruelty.
- A heart fixed on the fear of Yahweh has a future hope that will not be cut off.
- Self-control guards us against ruinous appetite. Put a knife to your throat, if you are a man given to appetite (Proverbs 23:2, WEB). Strong desires require firm, deliberate restraint.
- Wealth is fleeting and not worth our exhaustion. Don't weary yourself to be rich... it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky (Proverbs 23:4-5, WEB). Chasing money can cost us the very life we hoped to enjoy.
- Loving correction protects a child's soul. Don't withhold correction from a child... save his soul from Sheol (Proverbs 23:13-14, WEB). Discipline rightly given is an expression of love, not harshness.
- Truth is to be treasured, never bargained away. Buy the truth, and don't sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding (Proverbs 23:23, WEB). Truth is worth any cost to gain and worth everything to keep.
- God asks for the whole heart, not mere outward conduct. My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways (Proverbs 23:26, WEB). Wisdom begins where the heart is surrendered.
- Drink that promises pleasure delivers poison. In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper (Proverbs 23:32, WEB). What feels smooth at first can leave lasting wounds.
- What does it mean to put a knife to your throat when tempted by appetite?
- Why does the teacher say riches sprout wings and fly away like an eagle?
- How does the call to buy the truth and not sell it reshape our priorities?
- What appetite or desire most tempts you to override your better judgment?
- How does the closing picture of the drunkard expose the deceptive cycle of addiction?
- It is vivid imagery for radical self-restraint, treating a runaway appetite as a danger to be confronted decisively. The point is that strong desires call for strong measures.
- Riches are unstable and can vanish unexpectedly, so endless striving for them is wasted effort. The teacher redirects us from grasping wealth to fearing Yahweh.
- It pictures truth and wisdom as a costly purchase we should pursue eagerly and never trade away for convenience or gain. It calls us to value what is true above what is profitable.
- This is a personal question; create a safe space. Encourage members to name their particular vulnerabilities and to invite God's help and the support of others.
- The drunkard's own words, when will I wake up? I can do it again, reveal denial and a craving that survives even pain (Proverbs 23:35, WEB). Discuss how sin deceives and enslaves.