Proverbs 23:4

Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Labour	תִּיגַ֥ע ti.Ga'	H3021	properly · verb, qal jussive, 2nd person masculine singular
rich	לְֽהַעֲשִׁ֑יר le.ha.'a.Shir	H6238	properly · preposition + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
cease	חֲדָֽל cha.Dal	H2308	properly · verb, qal imperative, 2nd person masculine singular
wisdom	מִֽבִּינָתְךָ֥ mi.bi.na.te.Kha	H998	understanding · preposition + noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor fo…
Proverbs 28:20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
1 Timothy 6:8-10 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: f…
Proverbs 15:27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.
Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 23:4-5

As some are given to appetite (Pro 23:2) so others to covetousness, and those Solomon here takes to task. Men cheat themselves as much by setting their hearts on money (though it seems most substantial) as by setting them on dainties. Observe, I. How he dissuades the covetous man from toiling and tormenting himself (Pro 23:4). "Do not aim to be rich, to raise an estate, and to make what thou hast in abundance more than it is." We must endeavor to live comfortably, and provide for our children and families, according as our rank and condition are, but we must not seek great things. Be not of those that will be rich, that desire it as their chief good and design it as their highest end, Ti1 6:…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 23:4

(Compare Ti1 6:9-10). thine own wisdom--which regards riches intrinsically as a blessing.

John Gill on Proverbs 23:4

Labour not to be rich,.... In an immoderate over anxious way and manner, to a weariness, as the word (u) signifies, and even as to gape for breath men ought to labour, that they may have wherewith to support themselves and families, and give to others and: if they can, lay up for their children; but then persons should not toil and weary themselves to heap up riches when they know not who shall gather them and much less make use of indirect and illicit methods to obtain them; resolving to be rich at any rate: rather men should labour for durable riches, lay up treasure in heaven, seek those things which are above, and labour to be accepted of God both here and hereafter; which only is in Chr…

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Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 23:4-5

All the forms of proverbs run through these appended proverbs. There now follows a pentastich: 4 Do not trouble thyself to become rich; Cease from such thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou let thine eyes fly after it, and it is gone? For it maketh itself, assuredly it maketh itself wings, Like an eagle which fleeth toward the heavens. The middle state, according to Pro 30:8, is the best: he who troubleth himself (cf. Pro 28:20, hasteth) to become rich, placeth before himself a false, deceitful aim. יגע is essentially one with (Arab.) waji'a, to experience sorrow, dolere, and then signifies, like πονεῖν and κάμνειν, to become or to be wearied, to weary or trouble oneself, to toil and moil (Fleisch…

The Church Fathers

Do not labor to be rich. He signifies the riches of knowledge, which we are forbidden to seek beyond the measure of our capacity.
— Bede, Commentary on Proverbs

But set bounds for your wisdom. Namely that which is said above: Do not transgress ancient boundaries, which your fathers have set; that is, the boundaries of faith given by the fathers.
— Bede, Commentary on Proverbs

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Conceit · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Confidence · FALSE — FALSE
Covetousness · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
False Confidence · In self — In self
Riches · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Proverbs 23:4

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 23:4-5

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 23:4

John Gill on Proverbs 23:4

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 23:4-5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Proverbs 23:4

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 23:4-5

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 23:4

John Gill on Proverbs 23:4

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 23:4-5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Proverbs 23:4-5

Rashi on Proverbs 23:4