What does Proverbs 27:20 mean?
No matter how much death and destruction occur, there can always be more. There is no limit to how many people can die; in the poetic sense, death's appetite is infinite. Death does not slow down because it becomes "full." Solomon (Proverbs 25:1) uses this comparison to point out the insatiable nature of human greed. No matter how much we have, we can always desire "more." This relates to biblical ideas such as the "lust of the eyes" (1 John 2:16). Later proverbs will make similar comments about insatiable greed (Proverbs 30:15–16).The word sheol is used in the Old Testament as a reference to the grave, or to death. Abaddon means "destruction." and a Greek version of the word is used in the New Testament. There, it applies to the demon king of "the abyss" where evil spirits are kept (Romans 10:7; Revelation 9:1–2; 9:11The same terms are also used in Proverbs 15:11, to point out that God's knowledge is limitless.
Solomon himself went through a period when he looked for meaning in feeding his appetites. He applied his heart to knowledge but wasn't satisfied (Ecclesiastes 1:18). He tried to find satisfaction in wealth but learned that money could not satisfy his heart. He writes in Ecclesiastes 4:8 that a person's eyes "are never satisfied with riches." He concludes later that it is best to follow God's plans from the beginning (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Psalm 16:11 concurs with Solomon's conclusion by stating, "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
