[1] When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
Ruler — With a great man.
[2] And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Put a knife — Restrain thine appetite, as if a man stood with a knife at thy throat.
[3] Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
Deceitful — They do not yield thee that satisfaction which thou didst expect from them.
[4] Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Thine own wisdom — From worldly wisdom, which persuades men to use all possible means to get riches.
[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.
Set thine eyes — Look upon it with earnestness and desire.
Is not — Which has no solid and settled being.
Eagle — Swiftly, strongly, and irrecoverably.
[6] Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
Evil eye — Of the envious or covetous man.
[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.
So is he — You are not to judge of him by his words, but by the constant temper of his mind.
[8] The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Vomit up — When thou perceivest his churlish disposition, his meat will be loathsome to thee.
Sweet words — Thy pleasant discourse wherewith thou didst design to delight and profit him.
[9] Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Of a fool — Cast not away good counsels upon incorrigible sinners.
[10] Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Enter not — To possess their lands.
[11] For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
Redeemer — Heb. their near kinsman, to whom it belongs to avenge their wrongs, and to recover and maintain their rights.
[13] Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Shall not die — It is a likely way to prevent his destruction.
[16] Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
My reins — I shall rejoice with all my soul.
[18] For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
An end — An expected and happy end for such as fear God.
[19] Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Guide — Order the whole course of thine affections and actions.
In the way — In God's way.
[23] Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Buy — Purchase it upon any terms, spare no pains or cost.
Truth — The true and saving knowledge of God's will.
Sell it not — Do not forsake it for any worldly advantage.
[26] My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Give me — Solomon here speaks in God's name.
[30] They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Mixt wine — Either mixed with water, or with other ingredients to make it strong and delicious.
[31] Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
Red — Which was the colour of the best wines in that country.
Aright — When it sparkles, and seems to smile upon a man.
[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.
Lieth down — To sleep.
Sea — In a ship in the midst of the sea.
[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.
Sick — I was not sensible of it.
Again — At present my condition requires sleep to settle myself, and when I am composed, I purpose to return to my former course.
Proverbs 23 Bible Commentary
John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes
Verse 1
[1] When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
Ruler — With a great man.
Verse 2
[2] And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Put a knife — Restrain thine appetite, as if a man stood with a knife at thy throat.
Verse 3
[3] Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
Deceitful — They do not yield thee that satisfaction which thou didst expect from them.
Verse 4
[4] Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.
Thine own wisdom — From worldly wisdom, which persuades men to use all possible means to get riches.
Verse 5
[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.
Set thine eyes — Look upon it with earnestness and desire.
Is not — Which has no solid and settled being.
Eagle — Swiftly, strongly, and irrecoverably.
Verse 6
[6] Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
Evil eye — Of the envious or covetous man.
Verse 7
[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.
So is he — You are not to judge of him by his words, but by the constant temper of his mind.
Verse 8
[8] The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Vomit up — When thou perceivest his churlish disposition, his meat will be loathsome to thee.
Sweet words — Thy pleasant discourse wherewith thou didst design to delight and profit him.
Verse 9
[9] Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.
Of a fool — Cast not away good counsels upon incorrigible sinners.
Verse 10
[10] Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:
Enter not — To possess their lands.
Verse 11
[11] For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.
Redeemer — Heb. their near kinsman, to whom it belongs to avenge their wrongs, and to recover and maintain their rights.
Verse 13
[13] Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.
Shall not die — It is a likely way to prevent his destruction.
Verse 16
[16] Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
My reins — I shall rejoice with all my soul.
Verse 18
[18] For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
An end — An expected and happy end for such as fear God.
Verse 19
[19] Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Guide — Order the whole course of thine affections and actions.
In the way — In God's way.
Verse 23
[23] Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Buy — Purchase it upon any terms, spare no pains or cost.
Truth — The true and saving knowledge of God's will.
Sell it not — Do not forsake it for any worldly advantage.
Verse 26
[26] My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Give me — Solomon here speaks in God's name.
Verse 30
[30] They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.
Mixt wine — Either mixed with water, or with other ingredients to make it strong and delicious.
Verse 31
[31] Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
Red — Which was the colour of the best wines in that country.
Aright — When it sparkles, and seems to smile upon a man.
Verse 34
[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.
Lieth down — To sleep.
Sea — In a ship in the midst of the sea.
Verse 35
[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.
Sick — I was not sensible of it.
Again — At present my condition requires sleep to settle myself, and when I am composed, I purpose to return to my former course.