Proverbs 23:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

NIV: for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. 'Eat and drink,' he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

NASB: For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, 'Eat and drink!' But his heart is not with you.

CSB: for it's like someone calculating inwardly. "Eat and drink," he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

NLT: They are always thinking about how much it costs. 'Eat and drink,' they say, but they don’t mean it.

KJV: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

NKJV: For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.

Solomon explains why it's best to avoid taking hospitality from someone who is "stingy." The literal meaning of the Hebrew phrase (Proverbs 23:6) is someone with an "evil eye." Here, that figure of speech is given context. The host depicted here is not being generous out of love or brotherhood. Instead, he gives grudgingly and with the expectation of being repaid, somehow.

Scripture describes this type of host as "inwardly calculating." He is feigning friendliness, but he does not really wish his guest well. Either he is regretting the cost of the food the guest is consuming or he is attempting to deceive the guest into being taken advantage of. When someone realizes the "hospitality" they've been offered was really an attempted bribe, or manipulation, it makes them want to spit out what they've eaten (Proverbs 23:8). The time and conversation feel like a waste.

The Bible denounces filling one's heart with materialistic concerns and the love of money. The stingy man's concern about the cost of the food is contrary to Jesus' teaching about materialism. He said, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (Matthew 6:25). He added, "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'" (verse 31). Paul urged Timothy to warn believers about the love of money and to stress the importance of being generous (1 Timothy 6:17–18).

Proverbs 23:1–11 continues a set of wise sayings recorded by Solomon (Proverbs 22:17–21). This passage contains many wise sayings framed mainly as negative commands: beginning with the words, "Do not." These statements are longer than the succinct suggestions which make up most of the book of Proverbs. Solomon addresses matters such as cautious skepticism towards one's host, avoiding addiction to work, and integrity before both men and God.

This portion of wise sayings (Proverbs 22:17–21) starts with the sixth of thirty mentioned in chapter 22. These include advice on presenting oneself well to a host, while not being unduly influenced by such hospitality. The passage also speaks on the right time to share wisdom, ethics, discipline, and the joys associated with godly children. Also included are warnings about relationships and those who lack self-control. The chapter ends with the Bible's most strident warning about the dangers of alcohol abuse; this is the eighteenth of the thirty promised teachings.

This chapter continues Solomon's collection of the sayings of wise men (Proverbs 22:17–21). These lessons continue through Proverbs 24:34. Here, Solomon addresses his "son," perhaps meaning a student, with warnings about money, gluttony, speaking in the company of a fool, dishonesty, withholding discipline from a child, keeping company with drunkards, and the abuse of alcohol. The description of alcohol's risks is the most extensive such caution given in Scripture.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.