#oldtestament #proverbs #proverbs23
#bible #Biblestudy
# Proverbs 23
> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
[[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
[[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
[[#🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application]]
[[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts]]
[[#đź”— Related Passages]]
[[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[Proverbs Overview]]
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## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
While dining with a ruler,
    pay attention to what is put before you.
2Â If you are a big eater,
    put a knife to your throat;
3 don’t desire all the delicacies,
    for he might be trying to trick you.
4 Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich.
    Be wise enough to know when to quit.
5Â In the blink of an eye wealth disappears,
    for it will sprout wings
    and fly away like an eagle.
6 Don’t eat with people who are stingy;
    don’t desire their delicacies.
7Â They are always thinking about how much it costs.
    “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.
8 You will throw up what little you’ve eaten,
    and your compliments will be wasted.
9 Don’t waste your breath on fools,
    for they will despise the wisest advice.
10 Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers;
    don’t take the land of defenseless orphans.
11 For their Redeemer is strong;
    he himself will bring their charges against you.
12Â Commit yourself to instruction;
    listen carefully to words of knowledge.
13 Don’t fail to discipline your children.
    The rod of punishment won’t kill them.
14Â Physical discipline
    may well save them from death.
15 My child, if your heart is wise,
    my own heart will rejoice!
16Â Everything in me will celebrate
    when you speak what is right.
17 Don’t envy sinners,
    but always continue to fear the Lord.
18Â You will be rewarded for this;
    your hope will not be disappointed.
19Â My child, listen and be wise:
    Keep your heart on the right course.
20Â Do not carouse with drunkards
    or feast with gluttons,
21Â for they are on their way to poverty,
    and too much sleep clothes them in rags.
22Â Listen to your father, who gave you life,
    and don’t despise your mother when she is old.
23Â Get the truth and never sell it;
    also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.
24Â The father of godly children has cause for joy.
    What a pleasure to have children who are wise.
25Â So give your father and mother joy!
    May she who gave you birth be happy.
26Â O my son, give me your heart.
    May your eyes take delight in following my ways.
27Â A prostitute is a dangerous trap;
    a promiscuous woman is as dangerous as falling into a narrow well.
28Â She hides and waits like a robber,
    eager to make more men unfaithful.
29Â Who has anguish? Who has sorrow?
    Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining?
    Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
30Â It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns,
    trying out new drinks.
31 Don’t gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is,
    how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down.
32Â For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake;
    it stings like a viper.
33Â You will see hallucinations,
    and you will say crazy things.
34Â You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea,
    clinging to a swaying mast.
35 And you will say, “They hit me, but I didn’t feel it.
    I didn’t even know it when they beat me up.
When will I wake up
    so I can look for another drink?”
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## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Each verse is important.
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## 🤔 Interesting Facts
- This chapter includes parental wisdom such as “do not withhold discipline from a child” (v. 13).
- Verse 17 warns against envying sinners—a frequent issue in both biblical and modern contexts.
- Proverbs 23 offers vivid warnings against drunkenness using poetic and symbolic imagery (vv. 29–35).
- Verse 23—“Buy the truth and do not sell it”—illustrates the value of truth over temporary gain.
- This chapter includes strong advice for financial moderation and self-control around wealth and food.
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## 🧠Chapter Summary
**Main Teaching**: Proverbs 23 warns against gluttony, drunkenness, envy, and chasing wealth. It urges discipline, self-control, and a heart that delights in wisdom, especially for children.
**How It Fits in ProverbS**: This chapter reinforces wisdom’s role in shaping desires and long-term thinking. It continues the parental instruction tone, urging readers to resist short-term pleasure for lasting righteousness.
**Apologetic Insight**: Proverbs 23 challenges the modern pursuit of indulgence by showing its destructive end. It supports the biblical principle that self-discipline and godly contentment are essential for a flourishing life, opposing materialism and moral relativism.
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## 🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application
- 📌 Do not chase wealth or overindulge—such pursuits are deceptive.
- đź“Ś Parents should correct and instruct their children in wisdom.
- đź“Ś Drunkenness and gluttony lead to ruin and shame.
#### Today, I can apply this chapter by:
- âś… Practice self-control with food, drink, and spending today.
- âś… Avoid comparing yourself to others and focus on your own path.
- ✅ Don’t chase after riches—focus on lasting, godly values instead.
- âś… Listen to wise counsel, especially from godly parents or mentors.
- âś… Take time today to correct a small bad habit before it becomes a bigger problem.
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## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
**📖 Proverbs 23:17–18**
“Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off.”
- **Why it matters**: This passage encourages faithfulness and patience, assuring believers that godly living leads to lasting hope.
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## đź”— Related Passages
- 🔗 Hebrews 12:10–11 – “God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.”
- 🔗 1 Timothy 6:6–7 – “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
- 🔗 Matthew 26:41 – “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation…”
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## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
Write 3–6 sentences reflecting on:
- How this chapter encourages your faith,
- Convicts your heart,
- Reveals God's character.
Optional format: "In light of this chapter, I am challenged to..." or "I am comforted by..."
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## 🛤 Life Application
**Today, I can apply this chapter by:**
- âś… Application 1
- âś… Application 2
Make these very practical:
- "Trust God's timing in an uncertain situation."
- "Speak truth even when it’s unpopular."
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## đź“‚ Tags