God’s Word Translation
Proverbs 23:6
6Do not eat the food of one who is stingy, and do not crave his delicacies.
Proverbs 23:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
- New International Version (NIV)Do not eat the food of a begrudging host, do not crave his delicacies;
- English Standard Version (ESV)Do not eat the bread of a man who is stingy; do not desire his delicacies,
- New King James Version (NKJV)Do not eat the bread of a miser, Nor desire his delicacies;
Context of Proverbs 23:6
4Do not wear yourself out getting rich. Be smart enough to stop. 5Will you catch only a fleeting glimpse of wealth before it is gone? It makes wings for itself like an eagle flying into the sky. Do not eat the food of one who is stingy, and do not crave his delicacies. 7As he calculates the cost to himself, this is what he does: He tells you, “Eat and drink,” but he doesn’t really mean it. 8You will vomit the little bit you have eaten and spoil your pleasant conversation.
Read all of Proverbs 23Proverbs 23:6 word by word
אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 23:6
- Proverbs 22:9Whoever is generous will be blessed because he has shared his food with the poor.
- Deuteronomy 15:9When the seventh year—the year when payments on debts are canceled—is near, you might be stingy toward poor Israelites and give them nothing. Be careful not to think these worthless thoughts. The poor will complain to the Lord about you, and you will be condemned for your sin.
- Deuteronomy 28:56The most tender and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and tender that she wouldn’t even step on an ant—will become stingy toward the husband she loves or toward her own son or daughter.
- Matthew 20:15Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Or do you resent my generosity towards others?’
- Mark 7:22adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, cursing, arrogance, and foolishness come from within a person.
- Proverbs 23:3Do not crave his delicacies, because this is food that deceives you.
- Psalms 141:4Do not let me be persuaded to do anything evil or to become involved with wickedness, with people who are troublemakers. Do not let me taste their delicacies.
- Daniel 1:8Daniel made up his mind not to harm himself by eating the king’s rich food and drinking the king’s wine. So he asked the chief-of-staff for permission not to harm himself in this way.
Commentaries on Proverbs 23:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Of him that hath an evil eye - Never eat with a covetous or stingy man; if he entertains you at his own expense, he grudges every morsel you put in your mouth. This is well marked by the wise man in the next verse: "Eat and drink, saith he: but his heart is not with thee."Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6A different danger from that of Proverbs 23:1. The hazard here is the hospitality of the purse-proud rich, avaricious or grudging even in his banquets. Evil eye - Not with the later associations of a mysterious power for mischief, but simply, as in the margin ref. and in Matthew 20:15.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-8Verses 6-8 Do not make thyself burdensome to any, especially those not sincere. When we are called by God to his feast, and to let our souls delight themselves, Is 25:6; 55:2, we may safely partake of the Bread of life.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6-8Proverbs highly values generosity (Proverbs 11:24–26; 21:13; 22:9).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 6-86-8. Beware of deceitful men, whose courtesies even you will repent of having accepted. evil eye--or purpose (Pr 22:9; De 15:9; Mt 6:23).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 23:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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