Proverbs 23:5

Pro 23:5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for [riches] certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Ver. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes, &c.] Heb., Wilt thou cause thine eyes to flee after? &c. Wilt thou flee a fool’s pitch, and go hawking after that which cannot be had? or, if had, will not pay for the pains - countervail the cost? Wilt thou cast a leering look after such vanities?

Upon that which is not.] That hath no solid subsistence, though the foolish world call it substance. "The fashion of this world passeth away." {1Co 7:31} The Greek word there used, οχημα, intimateth that there is nothing of any firmness or solid consistence in the creature. Heaven only hath a foundation. {Heb 11:10} Earth hath none, but is "hanged upon nothing," as Job speaketh. "Ye rejoice in a thing of nought," saith the prophet to them that "drank wine in bowls," &c. {Amo 6:6; Amo 6:13}

For riches certainly make themselves wings.] As the heathens feigned of their god Pluto. Under these wings let the master hide himself, as Isa 28:15; yet with those wings will they fly away, without once taking leave, leaving nothing but the print of talons in his heart to torment him. Riches, saith one, were never true to those that trusted them. To fly from us they make themselves great eagles’ wings; to fly to us, or after us, Ne passerinas quidem, {a} not so much as old sparrows’ wings. Temporals, saith another, {b} are as transitory as a hasty headlong torrent - a shadow, a ship, a bird, an arrow, a post that passeth by; or if you can name anything of swifter wing or sooner gone.

{a} Augustine.

{b} Mr Bolton.

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.

Wilt . . . eyes--As the eyes fly after or seek riches, they are not, that is, either become transitory or unsatisfying; fully expressed by their flying away.

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

(5) They fly away.—Rather, As an eagle that flieth toward heaven, far beyond thy reach.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5. Wilt thou set thine eyes] More literally and forcibly: Wilt thou cause thine eyes to fly (or, shall thine eyes fly) upon it (with eager glance, as a bird swoops upon its prey, Isa_11:14)? it is gone! It eludes even the swiftness of thy glance, and itself spreads its wings and flies away.

For riches (supplied from Pro_23:4) certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.

Comp. for the sentiment πλούτου ἀδηλότης, 1Ti_6:17.

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.

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?.... The Vulgate Latin version is,

"do not lift up thine eyes to riches which thou canst not have;''

riches no doubt are intended, and which may be said to be "not"; they are not the true riches, have only the shadow and appearance of riches; they are not lasting and durable; in a little time they will not be; they are perishing things, they have no substance or solidity in them; they are not satisfying; they do not make them happy; they are rather nonentities than realities; and therefore the eyes of the mind and the affections of the heart should not be set on them: it may be rendered, "wilt thou cause thine eyes to fly upon that which is not?" (w) denoting the intenseness of the mind, and the eagerness of the affections, and with what rapidity and force they move towards them. The Targum is,

"if thou fixest thine eyes on him, he shall not appear to thee;''

meaning the rich man: and so the Septuagint, Syriac, and Arabic versions. Ben Melech makes mention of other senses very different; according to R. Judah, the word signifies darkness, "wilt thou make thine eyes dark?" two according to others, signifies light, "wilt thou make thine eyes to shine?" and, according to Jarchi, "wilt thou double?", or shut thine eyes?

for riches certainly make themselves wings; or, "it in making makes itself wings" (x); even that which is not, on which men cause their eyes to fly; no sooner are their eyes upon that, but that flies away from them like a bird with wings; see Hos 9:11. Either men are taken from that, or that from them, and sometimes very swiftly and suddenly;

they fly away as an eagle towards heaven; the eagle flies very swiftly, none more swiftly; it flies towards heaven, out of sight, and out of reach, and out of call; so riches flee away to God, the original giver of them, from whence they came, and who is the sole disposer of them; they own him as the proprietor and distributor of them; and they flee to heaven as it were for fresh orders where they should be, and into whose hands they should come next; they flee away, so as not to be seen any more, and be recovered by those who have formerly enjoyed them.

(w) "numquid involare facies", Michaelis; "ut involent", Junius & Tremellius; "ut volent", Piscator; "ad sineves volare", Cocceius. (x) "quis faciendo faciet", Montanus, Baynus.

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

Set thine eyes - literally, as in the margin, i. e., “gaze eagerly upon;” and then we get an emphatic parallelism with the words that follow, “they fly away as an eagle toward heaven;” “certainly make themselves wings.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Riches. Septuagint, "to him, the rich man, he no where appears. He has prepared," &c. (Haydock) --- Like. Hebrew, "as the eagle, it will fly," &c. (Haydock) --- We must therefore fix our hearts on more durable goods.

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).

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that, i.e. look upon it with earnestness and greedy desire, employing the eyes of thy mind and body about it.

Which is not; which hath no solid and settled being; which is ours to have, but not to hold; which is always upon the wing, and ofttimes gone in the twinkling of an eye, so that the owner is frequently at a loss, and cannot tell whether he hath his estate, or whether he hath lost it.

They fly away as an eagle, swiftly, strongly, and irrevocably. We quickly lose the sight and possession of them. Their flying away from us is elegantly opposed to our eyes being set, or, as it is in the Hebrew, flying upon them, in the beginning of the verse.

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

5. That which is not — This assigns a reason for the preceding admonition. Why pursue so eagerly that which is so uncertain and evanescent? Stuart’s rendering is good: “Wilt thou suffer thine eyes to fly toward it.” “To flit over it.” — Conant. It is, indeed, no more, (Job_7:9;) for it will surely make itself wings and fly away.

As an eagle toward heaven — “As an eagle and the birds of heaven.” — Conant. Compare Mat_6:20.

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

Wilt thou sat thine eyes upon that which is not? more literally, wilt thou let thine eyes fly upon it, and it is gone? Why cast longing looks towards this wealth, and so prepare for yourself loss and disappointment? The pursuit is vain, and the result is never secure; what you gained by long toil and prudent care may be lost in an hour. Do you wish to incur this danger? Wordsworth quotes Persius, "Sat.," 3:61"An passim sequeris corvos testaque lutoque?

For riches certainly make themselves wings. The subject, unexpressed, is riches, and the Hebrew phrase implies absolute certainty: Making they will make for themselves. They fly away as an eagle toward heaven; or, like on eagle that flieth toward heaven, where not even sight can follow. Publ. Syr., 255, "Longinquum est omne quod cupiditas flagitat." The Telugu compares worldly prosperity to writing upon water. Says the Greek moralist Bebaion ouden en biw dokei pelein. "There"s naught in life that one can deem secure. Septuagint, "If thou fix thine eye upon him (the rich patron), he will nowhere be seen, for wings like an eagle"s are ready prepared for him, and he will return to the house of his master (tou proesthkotov ), and leave you to shift for yourself."

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

Set thine eyes - Look upon it with earnestness and desire. Is not - Which has no solid and settled being. Eagle - Swiftly, strongly, and irrecoverably.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

v. 5. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not, looking eagerly for, craving eagerly after, something which has no lasting substance? For riches certainly make themselves wings, they are not a dependable possession; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven, they are as unstable as a bird of the air, whence it follows that he who trusts in them is foolish.

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

Should you blink your eyes at it The moment you blink your eyes to close them, that study will no longer be found with you.

התעיף, like “and you shall fold” (Ex. 26:9), which Onkelos renders: ותעיף.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.