Proverbs 21:17
Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just about avoiding parties; it highlights how the pursuit of intense, sensual indulgence (represented by "pleasure," "wine," and "oil") is fundamentally at odds with building lasting wealth and stability. The emphasis is on how the love of these things, rather than their occasional enjoyment, leads to an unsustainable drain on resources and focus.
This proverb appears in a section where Solomon is contrasting the ways of the wise and the foolish, particularly regarding diligence and stewardship. Just before this, he warns against dishonest gain, and immediately after, he emphasizes the importance of justice and righteousness over mere sacrifice. This verse serves as a practical warning against prioritizing immediate gratification and luxury, suggesting that such a focus on sensual pleasures and extravagant living leads directly to ruin and poverty.
Understand the original words
simchah · Hebrew Noun
Self-indulgence or worldly gratification that distracts from duty, wisdom, and the pursuit of God. It is often contrasted with the discipline required for godliness.
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This parable of the rich fool highlights how an obsession with accumulating wealth for personal pleasure, rather than for God's purposes, ultimately leads to spiritual poverty and ruin.
1 Timothy 6:10This passage warns that the 'love of money' is a root of all kinds of evil, a concept that resonates with Proverbs' warning about the destructive nature of loving worldly pleasures and luxuries to the point of impoverishment.
Matthew 6:24Jesus' teaching that one cannot serve both God and money directly connects to Proverbs' wisdom, suggesting that prioritizing the pursuit of fleeting pleasures over spiritual or diligent pursuits leads to a divided and ultimately impoverished life.
Galatians 5:16-17Paul's contrast between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit shows how indulging in sensual pleasures (the 'works of the flesh') distracts from a life lived according to God, which can lead to spiritual 'poverty' or defeat.
bensonProverbs 21:17: "He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich."
Proverbs 21:17 . He that loveth pleasure — That gives himself up to the pursuit and enjoyment of sensual pleasure; shall be a poor man — Takes the ready course to poverty. He that loveth wine and oil — Which were much used in feasts in those parts; that is, he that loves to feast and live delicately; shall not be rich — For the lusts of sensuality are not maintained but at a great expen…
clarkeProverbs 21:17: "He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich."
He that loveth pleasure - That follows gaming, fowling, hunting, coursing, etc., when he should be attending to the culture of the fields, shall be a poor man; and, I may safely add, shall be so deservedly poor, as to have none to pity him.
This verse isn't just about avoiding parties; it highlights how the pursuit of intense, sensual indulgence (represented by "pleasure," "wine," and "oil") is fundamentally at odds with building lasting wealth and stability. The emphasis is on how the love of these things, rather than their occasional enjoyment, leads to an unsustainable drain on resources and focus.
This proverb appears in a section where Solomon is contrasting the ways of the wise and the foolish, particularly regarding diligence and stewardship. Just before this, he warns against dishonest gain, and immediately after, he emphasizes the importance of justice and righteousness over mere sacrifice. This verse serves as a practical warning against prioritizing immediate gratification and luxury, suggesting that such a focus on sensual pleasures and extravagant living leads directly to ruin and poverty.
This proverb appears in a section where Solomon is contrasting the ways of the wise and the foolish, particularly regarding diligence and stewardship. Just before this, he warns against dishonest gain, and immediately after, he emphasizes the importance of justice and righteousness over mere sacrifice. This verse serves as a practical warning against prioritizing immediate gratification and luxury, suggesting that such a focus on sensual pleasures and extravagant living leads directly to ruin and poverty.
"Whoever loves pleasure will be a poor man; he who loves wine and oil will not be rich." — This verse isn't just about avoiding parties; it highlights how the pursuit of intense, sensual indulgence (represented by "pleasure," "wine," and "oil") is fundamentally at odds with building lastin…
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