Proverbs 23:20

Pro 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:

Ver. 20. Be not among wine-bibbers.] Follow not the custom nor company of such; thou knowest not what thou mayest be drawn to do, though of thyself averse to such evil courses. Noah got no good by the luxurious old world {Mat 24:38} with whom he lived; nor Lot by the intemperate Sodomites. {Eze 16:49} Uriah, a good man, was at length persuaded to drink to excess. {2Sa 11:13} "Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall." That evil servant that presumes to "eat and drink with the drunken," shall be cut off in the middle {a} {Mat 24:49}

Among riotous eaters of flesh.] Among fleshmongers, qui crapulae indulgent, that pamper their paunches, In cute curanda plus aequo operati. See my Common Place of Abstinence. These are all for themselves, as Nabal was. Helluantur sibi carnem - so the Hebrew runs; They ravin up flesh for themselves.

{a} διχοτομησει.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20, 21. Winebibbers — That is, persons who drink excessively.

Riotous eaters of flesh — Muenscher says”Prodigal of flesh for themselves.” “Prodigal of flesh for their gratification.” — Stuart. Some render: Prodigal of their own flesh or bodies — wasting their bodies in debauch. Pro_23:21, where drunkard and glutton correspond to the terms “winebibbers” and “eaters of flesh” of Pro_23:20, seems to fix the sense. Compare Pro_5:9; Pro_5:11; Pro_31:3. “The full force of the expression ‘prodigal of flesh’ cannot be felt except in a country like Palestine, where animal food does not enter into the ordinary diet of the people, and where it is esteemed a real luxury, and, as such, occasionally indulged in to great excess.” — Muenscher. Comp. Deu_21:19-20; Pro_7:14; Pro_9:11; Pro_15:17; Rom_13:13; Eph_5:18.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Hebrew, devourers of flesh.

Hebrew, wine-bibbers.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

riotous . . . flesh--prodigal, or eating more than necessary. Instead of "their flesh" (compare Margin), better, "flesh to them," that is, used for pleasure.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 20. Be not among winebibbers] There is much of this chapter spent in giving directions concerning eating, drinking, and entertainments in general.

First, the pupil is directed relative to the manner in which he is to conduct himself in his visits to the tables of the rich and great.

2. Relative to the covetous, and his intercourse with them. And

3. To public entertainments, where there were generally riot and debauch. The reasons, says Calmet, which induced the wise man to give these directions were,

1. The useless expense.

2. The loss of time.

3. The danger from bad company. And

4. The danger of contracting irregular habits, and of being induced to lead a voluptuous and effeminate life.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. riotous] Rather, gluttonous, as the same word is rendered in Pro_23:21 and Deu_21:20, A.V.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Be not amongst winebibbers,.... Who drink to excess, otherwise wine may be drank, provided moderation is used; but it is not good to be in company with, excessive drinkers of it, lost a habit of excessive drinking should be acquired;

among riotous eaters of flesh; flesh may be lawfully eaten, but not in a riotous manner, so as to indulge to gluttony and surfeiting; nor should such persons be kept company with that do so, lest their ways should be learned and imitated.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Eat. Such feasts tend to corrupt the morals, and to misspend time.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Avoid their conversation and company, lest thou be either infected or injured by them.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Wine bibbers; persons who meet together for the express purpose of drinking intoxicating liquors. Among riotous eaters of flesh. The Hebrew is "of flesh for themselves," whence some take the meaning to be "of their own flesh," i.e. who by their gluttony and luxury ruin their own bodies. But tile parallelism with the wine drinker shows plainly that the flesh which they eat is meant, and the idea is that they eat for the gratification of their own appetites, caring nothing for anything else. The combination of glutton and wine bibber was used as a reproach against our blessed Lord. (Mat_11:19) The versions of Jerome and the LXX point to the contributed entertainments, where each guest brought some article to the meal, like our picnics. Thus Vulgate, "Be not among parties of drinkers, nor at the banquets of those who contribute flesh to eat;" Septuagint. "Be not a wine bibber, and strain not after contributed feasts (sumbolaiv ) and purchases of meats.

Vers. 20, 21. See below. C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

v. 20. Be not among winebibbers, those given to intemperance in drinking, among riotous eaters of flesh, for these two forms of intemperance are usually found together;

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.