Proverbs 30:17

Proverbs 30:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
• New International Version (NIV)“The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it.

Context of Proverbs 30:17

15The leech has two daughters: “Give! Give!” Three things are never satisfied, four never say, “Enough!”— 16Sheol, a barren womb, land that is not satisfied with water, and fire that never says, “Enough!” The eye that mocks a father and scorns obeying a mother— will be pecked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by young vultures! 18Three things are too amazing for me, four I do not understand: 19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

Proverbs 30:17 word by word

עַ֤יִן׀ תִּֽלְעַ֣ג לְאָב֮ וְתָב֪וּז לִֽיקֲּהַ֫ת־אֵ֥ם יִקְּר֥וּהָ עֹרְבֵי־נַ֑חַל וְֽיֹאכְל֥וּהָ בְנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The eyeעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• mockethלָעַגlâ‛ag · to mockH3932
• fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• and despisethבּוּזbûz · to despiseH936
• to obeyיִקְּהָהyiqqâhâh · obedienceH3349
• motherאֵם'êm · motherH517
• the ravensעֹרֵב‛ôrêb ‛ôrêb · ravenH6158
• of the valleyנַ֫חַלnachal nachlâh nachălâh · torrent: valleyH5158
• shall pick it outנָקַרnâqar · to digH5365
• and the youngבֵּןbên · son: young animalH1121
• eaglesנֶשֶׁרnesher · eagleH5404
• shall eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398

Cross-references for Proverbs 30:17

• Proverbs 30:11There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.
• Proverbs 20:20Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be snuffed out in utter darkness.
• Proverbs 23:22Listen to your father who begot you and do not despise your mother when she is old.
• Genesis 9:21He drank some of the wine, got drunk, and was uncovered in his tent.
• Leviticus 20:9“Any man who curses his father or his mother should surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother, and his blood should be on him.
• Deuteronomy 21:18“Suppose a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not listen to the voice of his father or mother. They discipline him, but he does not listen to them.
• 2 Samuel 18:9Now Absalom encountered some of David’s servants. When Absalom was riding on his mule, the mule went under the thick branches of the great oak, and his head got caught in the oak, so that he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.
• 1 Samuel 17:44The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, so I may give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.”
• 2 Samuel 21:10Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it on the rock for herself, from the beginning of harvest until the rain poured on them from the sky. She did not let the birds of the sky rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.

Commentaries on Proverbs 30:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17The eye that mocketh at his father - This seems to be spoken against those who curse their father, and do not bless their mother, Proverbs 30:11. The ravens of the valley - Those which frequent the places where dead carcasses and offal are most likely to be found. The raven, the crow, the rook, the daw, the carrion crow, and the Cornish chough, appear to be all of the same genus. Some of them live on pulse and insects; others, the raven in particular…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-17Verses 15-17 Cruelty and covetousness are two daughters of the horseleech, that still cry, "Give, give," and they are continually uneasy to themselves. Four things never are satisfied, to which these devourers are compared. Those are never rich that are always coveting. And many who have come to a bad end, have owned that their wicked courses began by despising their parents' authority.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17People who are unkind to their parents may face a harsh fate (see Proverbs 10:1; 19:26; 28:24; 29:3; 30:11).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. The eye--for the person, with reference to the use of the organ to express mockery and contempt, and also as that by which punishment is received. the ravens ... eagles ... eat--either as dying unnaturally, or being left unburied, or both.Read the comment

Topics related to Proverbs 30:17

• Burial
• Children
• Mother
• Raven

In the dictionaries

• Agur
• Convenient
• Folk
• Food
• Raven
• Eagle
• Eye
• Massa
• Mock; Mocker; Mocking
• Proverbs, the Book of

Commentaries on Proverbs 30

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings