Proverbs 23:21
in Proverbs 23For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe them in rags.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.
KJV
For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
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This verse in Proverbs 23
Commentary
4 notes on this verseFor the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty,.... They consuming their substance upon their bellies, in eating and drinking; see Pro 21:17; and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags; excessive eating and drinking brings drowsiness on men, unfits them for business, and makes them idle and slothful; and spending all on their bellies, they have nothing for their backs, and are clothed in rags; see Pro 24:33.
This site's exposition
Hear thou, my son, and be wise
on Proverbs 23:19-21
Hear thou, my son, and be wise opens a fresh appeal that runs straight into the chapter's long drunkard poem, and these verses give its first, plainer form: be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh. The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty names two appetites in one sentence, and drowsiness clothing a man with rags pictures the slow, unnoticed decline rather than a single dramatic ruin. Gill reads the pairing of drink and food as the same undisciplined appetite working in two directions at once.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
And dressed in rags will be the sluggard. For his death will find him despicable and devoid of all good works, as his languor occupied him here in seeking the crimes of another's life through slander.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Drunkenness is the cause of drowsiness; it stupefies men, and makes them inattentive to business, and then all goes to wreck and ruin: thus men that have lived creditably come to be clothed with rags. This is another sin which takes away the heart that should be given to God, Hos. iv. He shows the danger which attends that sin,
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| סֹבֵ֣א | sove' | a drunkard | H5433 → | |
| וְ֭זוֹלֵל | vezolel | and a glutton | H2151 → | 8 times |
| יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ | yivaresh | he will become impoverished | H3423 → | 231 times |
| וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים | ukeraim | and rags | H7168 → | |
| תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ | talbish | it will clothe [them] | H3847 → | |
| נוּמָֽה׃ | numah | drowsiness | H5124 → |
כִּי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
סֹבֵ֣אa drunkard
sove'H5433 →
וְ֭זוֹלֵלand a glutton
vezolelH2151 →8 times
יִוָּרֵ֑שׁhe will become impoverished
yivareshH3423 →231 times
וּ֝קְרָעִ֗יםand rags
ukeraimH7168 →
תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁit will clothe [them]
talbishH3847 →
נוּמָֽה׃drowsiness
numahH5124 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 5:11But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a verbal abuser, a drunkard or a swindler.…
it leads to
- Romans 16:17
Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:14
Take note of anyone who does not obey the instructions we have given in this letter. Do not associate with him, so that he may be ashamed.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6
Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received…
- Matthew 18:17
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, regard him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
- 1 Corinthians 5:13
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”
- Romans 16:17
Through
Philippians 3:19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things.
it leads to
- Romans 16:18
For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
- Romans 8:5–7
Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
- 2 Peter 2:3
In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
- Romans 16:18
About Proverbs
This page draws on Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.