Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
Proverbs 15:17
What does Proverbs 15:17 mean?
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Proverbs 15:17
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This proverb isn't just about food; it highlights that the quality of relationships is the true feast. Even the simplest meal shared with genuine affection is far richer than a lavish banquet where animosity festers, making the most expensive food taste like ashes.
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This proverb is part of a larger section where Solomon contrasts the ways of the wise with the ways of fools, highlighting how their words and attitudes lead to vastly different outcomes. Coming right after verses that emphasize the value of a gentle answer over wrath and the importance of listening to correction, this verse uses a simple meal as a metaphor to underscore the supreme importance of relational harmony over material wealth or lavish displays. It sets the stage for the following verses which explore wisdom's ability to guide and the destructive nature of pride and impatience.
Imagine a feast so grand it's legendary, but it leaves you feeling empty. Now picture a humble meal that fills your heart. What truly makes a meal satisfying?
A Feast for the Soul
The verse contrasts two scenarios. On one hand, a simple meal of "herbs" – think basic vegetables, not a gourmet spread. This is the food of the common person, easily prepared and humble. Yet, if this meal is shared with "love," it becomes incredibly valuable. Love here signifies genuine affection, kindness, and warm relationships among those sharing the food.
On the other hand, we have a "fattened ox," representing a luxurious, expensive banquet. This isn't just any meat; it's the kind saved for special celebrations, signifying wealth and extravagance. But if this magnificent feast is accompanied by "hatred," it's worthless, even detrimental.
What's worse than having nothing? Sometimes, it's having a lot, but with a bitter spirit. How can hostility ruin even the best of times?
The Bitter Taste of Enmity
Ancient commentators highlight that the "stalled ox" wasn't just food; it was a symbol of abundance and celebration. This was the pinnacle of ancient feasting. However, the presence of "hatred" fundamentally corrupts such an event.
Hatred doesn't just make the food taste bad; it destroys the very purpose of gathering. It creates tension, suspicion, and deep discomfort. A meal meant for fellowship and joy becomes a source of anxiety and pain. This isn't just about personal dislike; it's about a pervasive ill-will that infects all interactions, rendering material wealth and abundance meaningless.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
ahabah · Hebrew Noun
In this context, it refers to the selfless, covenantal, and sacrificial commitment to others, often reflecting God's own nature. It is the bond that produces harmony within relationships and the community.
This passage directly echoes the sentiment, stating that 'better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of rich food with strife,' highlighting that inner peace and positive relationships are more valuable than material wealth or abundance.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7Paul's famous description of love ('Love is patient, love is kind...') provides a profound theological depth to what 'love' means in practice, showing that it's the active presence of these qualities that transforms even the simplest meal.
Luke 15:23-24The parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates the joy and love surrounding a celebratory feast for the returning son, contrasting the father's extravagant welcome with the older son's resentment, showing how hatred can poison even a 'fattened calf' situation.
Ecclesiastes 4:6This verse offers a similar wisdom, stating, 'Better one handful with quiet than two handfuls with grasping and chasing after the wind,' emphasizing that contentment and peace, even with less, are superior to abundance marred by internal conflict.
pulpitProverbs 15:17: "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith."
Verse 17. - Better is a dinner (portion) of herbs where love is. A dish of vegetables would be the common meal, whereas flesh would be reserved for festive occasions. Where love presides, the simplest food is cheerfully received, and contentment and happiness abound (Proverbs 17:1). Lesetre quotes Horace's invitation to his friend Torquatus ('Epist.,' 1:5. 1) - "Si potes Archiacis conviva recumb…
clarkeProverbs 15:17: "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith."
Better is a dinner of herbs - Great numbers of indigent Hindoos subsist wholly on herbs, fried in oil, and mixed with their rice.
This proverb isn't just about food; it highlights that the quality of relationships is the true feast. Even the simplest meal shared with genuine affection is far richer than a lavish banquet where animosity festers, making the most expensive food taste like ashes.
This proverb is part of a larger section where Solomon contrasts the ways of the wise with the ways of fools, highlighting how their words and attitudes lead to vastly different outcomes. Coming right after verses that emphasize the value of a gentle answer over wrath and the importance of listening to correction, this verse uses a simple meal as a metaphor to underscore the supreme importance of relational harmony over material wealth or lavish displays. It sets the stage for the following verses which explore wisdom's ability to guide and the destructive nature of pride and impatience.
This proverb is part of a larger section where Solomon contrasts the ways of the wise with the ways of fools, highlighting how their words and attitudes lead to vastly different outcomes. Coming right after verses that emphasize the value of a gentle answer over wrath and the importance of listening to correction, this verse uses a simple meal as a metaphor to underscore the supreme importance of relational harmony over material wealth or lavish displays. It sets the stage for the following verses which explore wisdom's ability to guide and the destructive nature of pride and impatience.
"Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it." — This proverb isn't just about food; it highlights that the quality of relationships is the true feast. Even the simplest meal shared with genuine affection is far richer than a lavish banquet where…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026