What does Proverbs 23:8 mean by "vomit up what you have eaten"? Canonical Placement and Text “Do not eat the bread of a stingy man, and do not crave his delicacies; for he is keeping track, calculating the cost. ‘Eat and drink,’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you. You will vomit up what you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.” (Proverbs 23:6-8) Immediate Literary Context Verses 1-3 caution against naïve indulgence at a ruler’s table; verses 6-8 shift to the “stingy” or “evil-eyed” host (בַּעַל עַיִן רָע). Both warnings belong to Solomon’s larger collection (22:17-24:22) urging discernment in social settings. Each table scene tests whether the guest will weigh motives or be lulled by appetite. Ancient Near Eastern Hospitality Ethics Excavated Late Bronze Age texts from Ugarit, and Middle Assyrian banquet lists, show table fellowship as a covenant-like act that established obligation. To accept food implied friendship; to withdraw it implied enmity. Proverbs leverages that cultural background, alerting Israelites to hosts who exploit the custom for self-interest—precisely the antithesis of the open-handed generosity commanded in Deuteronomy 15:7-11. The Figurative Force of “Vomit Up” 1. Moral recoil: The moment the guest realizes the host’s duplicity, the meal turns sour; the stomach rejects what the conscience rejects. 2. Futility: Whatever benefit the guest thought he had secured is canceled; nourishment literally returns void. 3. Divine poetic justice: As elsewhere (e.g., Psalm 109:17-18), the deed returns upon the doer. The guest’s misplaced trust backfires, illustrating the sowing-and-reaping principle (Galatians 6:7). Physiological and Psychological Dimension Stress-induced emesis is medically documented (e.g., catecholamine surge under acute anxiety). Scripture here anticipates this reality: deceit triggers a visceral response. The mind-body unity that modern behavioral science observes accords with biblical anthropology (Psalm 32:3-4). The Wasted Compliments Clause “Waste your pleasant words” (verse 8b) shows that flattery expended on a miser is as futile as the undigested food. Ancient Semitic idiom often paired physical loss with verbal waste (cf. Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope 11.12-14, a literary cousin to Proverbs). Broader Old Testament Parallels • Proverbs 25:16, 27—“find honey… lest you vomit.” Both passages link over-indulgence with physical rejection. • Proverbs 26:11—“As a dog returns to its vomit.” Repetition of folly invites the same nauseating outcome. • Job 20:15—“He swallows riches and vomits them up.” Greed ends in disgorgement. New Testament Continuity • Jesus exposes hypocritical hospitality in Luke 11:37-41. • Paul counsels believers not to enter binding fellowship with the “greedy” (1 Corinthians 5:11). • Revelation 3:16 employs the same image—Laodicea’s lukewarm faith makes the risen Christ “vomit” (μέλλω σε ἐμέσαι). Theological Themes 1. God weighs motives, not appearances (1 Samuel 16:7). 2. True hospitality flows from grace, not calculation (Romans 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9). 3. Wisdom protects the believer from moral entanglement; discernment is a covenantal safeguard (Proverbs 2:11-12). Practical Implications for Believers Today • Measure invitations by the host’s character; favor transparent fellowship over opportunistic networking. • Cultivate generosity that mirrors God’s self-giving nature; avoid quid-pro-quo philanthropy (2 Corinthians 9:7). • Teach children that peer pressure backed by ulterior motives leads to regretful “vomit up” moments—lost time, resources, purity, or peace. • Churches should model open-handed hospitality, thereby contrasting the world’s cost-counting spirit. Historical Commentary Witness • Early Jewish Midrash (Mishlei Rabbah 23) links the verse to Esau’s regret over a “single meal” (Genesis 25:29-34). • Chrysostom applies it to wealthy patrons feigning piety for influence. • The Geneva Bible (1560) marginal note: “Thou shalt be weary to see his penurious dealing.” Summary “Vomit up what you have eaten” in Proverbs 23:8 is a vivid Hebrew idiom warning that accepting the begrudging generosity of a self-seeking host will end in physical revulsion, emotional regret, and wasted goodwill. The verse admonishes God’s people to exercise discernment, cherish sincere fellowship, and mirror the lavish, motive-free hospitality of their Creator. |
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