Proverbs 23:31

Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. LOOK NOT THOU UPON THE WINE WHEN IT IS RED. Do not be caught by its beautiful colour in the glass. Much sin enters the soul through the avenue of the eye. WHEN IT GIVETH HIS COLOUR - literally, its eye; its sparkle. (WHEN) IT MOVETH ITSELF ARIGHT - when it exhibits the appearance of sparkling motion through its generous fiery nature. It looks all right in the cup (, "Wine ... that goeth down sweetly:" margin, straightly. Or omit "when," which is not in the Hebrew). The wine enters the mouth easily, and without anything to offend; but "at the last it biteth like a serpent" ()....

Verse Proverbs 23:31. _LOOK NOT THOU UPON THE WINE_] Let neither the _colour_, the _odour_, the _sparkling_, c., of the wine, when poured out, induce thee to drink of it. However _good_ and _pure_ it may be, it will to thee be a snare, because thou art addicted to it, and hast no self-command....

Another continuous exhortation rather than a collection of maxims. Proverbs 23:16 The teacher rejoices when the disciple’s heart Proverbs 23:15 receives wisdom, and yet more when his lips can utter it. REINS - See Job 19:27 note. Proverbs 23:17 ENVY SINNERS - Compare in Psalms 37:1; Psalms 73:3; the feeling whi

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 23:1 A hexastich closely connected with the last verse of the preceding chapter, as if the warning was addressed to the man of skill whom his talents had made the guest of kings. PROVERBS 23:1 WHEN THOU SITTEST TO EAT WITH A RULER. This, of course, would be a great honour to a man of lowly birth, or to one of the middle class, to whom the manners of courts and palaces were practically unknown. CONSIDER DILIGENTLY WHAT IS BEFORE THEE. So the Vulgate, _Qua apposita sunt ante faciem tuam_;_ _and the Septuagint, Τὰ παρατιθέμενά σοι_. _Take heed lest the unusual dainties on the table tempt thee to excess, which may lead not only to unseemly behavi

LOOK NOT THOU UPON THE WINE WHEN IT IS RED,.... Or, "because it is red" r; or shows itself red. Which was the only wine used in the land of Canaan, or, however, the most esteemed of, and that most of art which had the best colour; when it had a good, bright, red colour, or sparkled, and looked bright and beautiful, so the word signifies; and then it should not be looked upon: not that it is unlawful to look upon the colour of wine, and thereby judge of its goodness; but it should not be looked upon with a greedy eye, so as vehemently to desire it, which will lead to an intemperate use of it; just as looking upon a woman, so as to lust after her, is forbidden, Matthew 5:28; WHEN IT GIVETH HIS COLOUR IN THE CUP: or, its eye in the cup s; such a bright, brisk, and beautiful colour, as is like a bright and sparkling eye. Here is a various reading; it is written in the text, "i

CHAPTER 23 INSTRUCTIONS CONTINUED The opening proverbs of this chapter treat of self-restraint in curbing the appetite and give manners to be observed in the presence of a superior. Warnings against riches and their uncertainty are contained in Proverbs 23:4 and Proverbs 23:5. How well it would be if the great mass of professing Christians, and some true believers also, would consider this instruction: “Labor not to be rich.” But this exhortation as well as the exhortation in 1Ti 6:1-10 is overlooked, and many who profess to have their riches in Christ, in the heavenly places and never ending glory, weary themselves with earthly gain, and aim to become wealthy. But riches have wings; they can fly away swiftly as does the eagle when he mounts heavenward. This too is mentioned in the epistle to Timoth

It is possible to take these three verses together as a warning against treachery lurking in the dainties of a royal table. In that case, in Proverbs 23:1 we should render consider diligently what (_mg._) is set before thee, and in Proverbs 23:2 continue, For thou wilt put (_mg.)._ But possibly the general interpretation represented by RV is more suitable, and Proverbs 23:3 has come in by error from Proverbs 23:6, where it more naturally belongs. Proverbs 23:4 f. The uncertainty of riches. The general sense is clear, but the text is

HIS COLOUR. its sparkle....

_moveth itself aright_ So R.V. marg.; but R.V. text, GOETH DOWN SMOOTHLY, as the same expression is rendered in Song of Solomon, Song of Solomon 7:9 [Hebrews 10], A.V. and R.V....

LOOK NOT THOU UPON THE WINE, &C.— Red wine is more esteemed in the east than white; and we are told in the travels of Olearius, that it is customary with the Armenian Christians in Persia, to put Brazil wood or saffron into their wine, to give it a _higher colour,_ when the wine is not so _red_ as they like; they making no account of white wine. He mentions the same thing also in another place. These accounts of their putting Brazil wood or saffron into such their wines to give them a deeper red, seem to discover an energy of the Hebrew word יתאדם _yithaddam,_ here used, as I never saw remarked any where. It is of the conjugation called _hithpael,_ which, according to grammarians denotes an action that turns upon the agent itself: it is not always, it may be accurately observed, but in this case it should seem that it ought to be, taken according to the strictness of grammar, and that it...