Proverbs 23

When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before you;

put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.

Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since they are deceitful food.

Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.

Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.

Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies,

for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

You will vomit up the morsel which you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.

Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Don’t move the ancient boundary stone. Don’t encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

for their Defender is strong. He will plead their case against you.

Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.

Punish him with the rod, and save his soul from Sheol.

My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad, even mine.

Yes, my heart will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.

Don’t let your heart envy sinners, but rather fear the LORD all day long.

Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.

Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!

Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat;

for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Listen to your father who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.

Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.

The father of the righteous has great joy. Whoever fathers a wise child delights in him.

Let your father and your mother be glad! Let her who bore you rejoice!

My son, give me your heart; and let your eyes keep in my ways.

For a prostitute is a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well.

Yes, she lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among men.

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

Those who stay long at the wine; those who go to seek out mixed wine.

Don’t look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly.

In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.

Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will imagine confusing things.

Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the middle of the sea, or as he who lies on top of the rigging:

“They hit me, and I was not hurt! They beat me, and I don’t feel it! When will I wake up? I can do it again. I will look for more.”

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview.
This chapter offers a collection of wisdom sayings focused on self-control, reverence for God, and the pursuit of truth, especially in the context of relationships with authority, family, and personal appetites. It warns against the dangers of gluttony, drunkenness, stinginess, and foolishness, while exhorting the listener to embrace discipline, honor parents, and treasure wisdom above all. Situated in the heart of Proverbs, it reflects the book’s central concern with forming a life shaped by the fear of the Lord.

Flow.

Begins with a warning about prudence and self-restraint when in the presence of those in power, particularly regarding overindulgence in food.
Turns to cautions against envying the rich or trusting in uncertain wealth, then warns against accepting favors from a stingy host who is inwardly calculating.
Emphasizes the value of instruction, the necessity of disciplining children, and the joy that comes from wisdom in a son’s life.
Concludes with strong warnings against drunkenness and sexual immorality, using vivid imagery to depict the ruin they bring.

Connections.
Following chapter 22, which also addresses speech, discipline, and the formation of character, this chapter deepens those themes by applying wisdom to concrete situations—such as dining with rulers (echoing concerns in 22:17–21 about listening to the wise). It prepares the way for chapter 24, which continues the focus on envy, the futility of wickedness, and the call to hope in the Lord, with sustained emphasis on justice and moral vigilance (e.g. 24:11–12 echo on defending the fatherless).

What it teaches.
True wisdom involves discernment in social, familial, and personal life, rooted in the fear of the Lord (; WCF 1.6). God calls His people to exercise self-discipline, seeing wealth as transient (HC LD 44; WCF 1.1), and to uphold justice, especially for the vulnerable (WCF 21.2; BC Art. 36). Discipline, even corporal correction, is a form of love that delivers from destruction (; WCF 19.3). The soul’s fidelity to truth, wisdom, and parental instruction reflects walking in God’s ways (, 26; WCF 18.1). Drunkenness and adultery are portrayed as pathways to ruin, contrary to the sobriety and purity required of those who would dwell in God’s presence (HC LD 36, 43; BC Art. 24).

Apply.
Turn away from the allure of fleeting pleasures and entrust yourself to the path of discipline, where true life and joy are found.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.