What is the meaning of Proverbs 21:26? All day long - The phrase highlights an ongoing, habitual pattern. The selfish person’s appetite for more never pauses. - Psalm 10:3-4 shows the same restless craving: “The wicked … blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.” - Isaiah 57:20 portrays the wicked as “like the tossing sea, which cannot rest.” - The lesson: unchecked desire crowds out peace, worship, and contentment every waking hour. he covets more - Coveting is not mere admiration; it is a heart-level demand to possess what belongs to another (Exodus 20:17). - Luke 12:15 warns, “Watch out! Be on guard against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” - 1 Timothy 6:9-10 traces ruin back to this craving: “Those who want to get rich fall into temptation …” - Ecclesiastes 5:10 confirms the futility: “Whoever loves money never has enough.” - Covetousness feeds on itself; the more it gains, the more it wants. but - This small word signals a radical contrast—two ways to live. - Proverbs often pivots on “but” (e.g., 10:27-28; 11:19-20), underscoring that righteousness and wickedness move in opposite directions. - God draws a firm line between self-centered acquisition and God-centered generosity. the righteous give - Righteousness produces open-handed grace. • Proverbs 11:24-25: “One gives freely, yet gains even more … A generous person will prosper.” • Psalm 112:5: “Good will come to the man who is generous and lends freely.” • Acts 20:35: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” - Giving reflects trust in God as Provider and love for neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39). - Rather than stockpiling, the righteous invest resources in people and kingdom purposes. without restraint - “Without restraint” paints a picture of lavish, cheerful generosity. • Deuteronomy 15:10: “Give generously to him and do not let your heart be grieved …” • 2 Corinthians 9:6-7: “God loves a cheerful giver.” • Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you … poured into your lap.” - The righteous person doesn’t calculate the bare minimum; the heart is so free from clutching that giving becomes a joy, not an obligation. summary Proverbs 21:26 contrasts two lifestyles. The ungodly spend every moment nursing an insatiable appetite for more, chaining themselves to perpetual discontent. The righteous, free from such bondage, open their hands wide, trusting God and blessing others. One path hoards and starves the soul; the other gives and thrives. |
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