Proverbs 23:6

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 weary yourself to gain wealth; Stop dwelling on it. 5When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings Like an eagle that flies toward the heavens. Do not eat the bread of a selfish person; Or desire his delicacies; 7For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you. 8You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten And waste your compliments.

Proverbs 23:6 word by word

אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃Read the interlinear

• Do not eatלָחַםlâcham · to feed onH3898
• the breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• selfishרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: harmfulH7451
• selfishעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• Or desireאָוָה'âvâh · to desireH183
• his delicaciesמַטְעָםmaţ‛am maţ‛ammâh · delicacyH4303

Cross-references for Proverbs 23:6

• Proverbs 22:9One who is generous will be blessed, Because he gives some of his food to the poor.
• Deuteronomy 15:9Be careful that there is no mean-spirited thought in your heart, such as, ‘The seventh year, the year of release of debts, is near,’ and your eye is malicious toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry out to the Lord against you, and it will be a sin in you.
• Deuteronomy 28:56The refined and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her delicateness and tenderness, will be hostile toward the husband she cherishes and toward her son and daughter,
• Matthew 20:15Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’
• Mark 7:22deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
• Proverbs 23:3Do not desire his delicacies, For it is deceptive food.
• Psalms 141:4Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds of wickedness With people who do wrong; And may I not taste their delicacies.
• Daniel 1:8But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.

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

• Company
• Guest
• Hospitality
• Hypocrisy

In the dictionaries

• Evil eye
• Clothe
• Correction
• Dainty
• Desirous
• Drunkard
• Poverty
• Riotous
• Sell
• Wine

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