What is the meaning of Proverbs 4:17? For they eat The opening “For they” points us back to the restless evildoers of verses 14–16 who “cannot sleep unless they do evil” (Proverbs 4:16). Solomon wants us to feel the contrast between their lifestyle and the path of wisdom he is urging his son to choose. • Psalm 1:1 reminds us not to “walk in the counsel of the wicked,” echoing the warning. • Proverbs 1:10 and 1 Corinthians 15:33 both underline how dangerous it is to stay close to such people—bad company soon shapes appetite and behavior. The grammatical glue “for” explains why we must avoid their path: their very diet is corrupt. the bread of wickedness Bread is basic nourishment. To say someone “eats the bread of wickedness” means sin has become daily sustenance—habitual, normal, even comforting. • Job 20:12-14 pictures evil as sweetness that turns to poison—wicked bread may taste good for a moment, but it sickens the soul. • Proverbs 10:16 contrasts the “labor of the righteous” that leads to life with the wages of the wicked that bring punishment. • John 6:35 offers the opposite menu: Jesus is the true “bread of life,” satisfying forever. That contrast sharpens how empty the bread of wickedness really is. • Isaiah 55:2 asks why anyone would “spend money on that which is not bread,” urging us to seek what truly satisfies. and drink Eating can be casual; drinking often carries the idea of refreshment and deeper indulgence. Moving from bread to wine shows progress from routine sin to celebratory sin—wickedness embraced with gusto. • Ephesians 5:18 warns against being “drunk on wine” because intoxication dulls discernment—exactly what sin aims to do. The verb “drink” tells us these people aren’t occasional sippers; they take in violence until it floods their system. the wine of violence Wine suggests both pleasure and intoxication. Violence here is not only physical brutality but any forceful wrongdoing—oppression, exploitation, cruelty. • Proverbs 16:29 observes that “a violent man entices his neighbor,” showing how violence spreads socially, just like shared wine. • Habakkuk 2:15 curses the one who gets his neighbor drunk to exploit him—violence and intoxication often team up. • Revelation 17:2 pictures nations “intoxicated with the wine of her immorality,” confirming that violence and corruption can stupefy entire cultures. When people are drunk on violence, they lose the capacity to feel compassion or restraint. Their hearts become numb, yet they keep pouring another glass. summary Proverbs 4:17 paints sin as food and drink for the wicked. What we consume shapes us; habitual evil produces spiritual malnutrition and moral stupor. By warning his son, Solomon urges every reader to step off that deadly menu and feast instead on the wisdom, righteousness, and life offered by the Lord. |
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