Proverbs 23:29 | DiscipleDeck

Bible Commentary

Proverbs 23:29

This powerful sequence of six questions builds a portrait of the consequences of excessive drinking. The accumulation — woe, sorrow, quarrels, complaints, wounds, red eyes — is deliberately overwhelming. The poet is naming the full wreckage of a life controlled by wine. The answer to all six questions comes in verse 30.

Memory phrase: Wrong choices bring great trouble.

Talk about it: If you saw someone with all these troubles, what kind of choices do you think they might have made?

Prayer: God, protect me from choices that bring woe and pain.

More for Proverbs 23:29

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Proverbs 23 — OverviewProverbs 23 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleCautions against Luxury and Covetousness.Proverbs 23 — OverviewProverbs 23 · Little Bible — for children and parentsProverbs 23 gives wisdom for everyday life — eating with powerful people, working hard without greed, honouring your parents, guarding your heart, and avoiding the trap of wine. At its centre is a call to seek truth and…Proverbs 23:1-35Proverbs 23:1-35 · The Pulpit CommentaryEXPOSITION Proverbs 23:29-35Proverbs 23:29-35 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleSolomon here gives fair warning against the sin of drunkenness, to confirm what he had said, v. 20. I. He cautions all people to keep out of the way of temptations to this sin (v. 31): Look not thou upon the wine…Proverbs 23:29Proverbs 23:29 · The Pulpit CommentaryWho hath woe? who hath sorrow? Hebrew, lemi oi, lemi aboi, where oi and aboi are interjections of pain or grief. So Venetian, τίνι αἲ τίνι φεῦ; Revised Version margin, Who hath Oh? who hath Alas? The Vulgate has…Proverbs 23:29-35Proverbs 23:29-35 · The Pulpit CommentaryHere follows a mashal ode or song on the subject of drunkenness, which is closely connected with the sin mentioned in the previous lines.