Proverbs 23:31-32
Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The text emphasizes the deceptive allure of wine by highlighting its "eye" in the cup, suggesting it literally sparkles and seems to wink at the drinker. This personification draws us in, making the warning about its smooth, pleasant descent even more critical because those appealing qualities are precisely how it begins to ensnare us.
The verses leading up to this passage paint a stark picture of the consequences of drunkenness, detailing the woes, sorrows, and physical ailments it brings. This verse, therefore, serves as a direct, cautionary command, urging the reader to actively avoid even the initial allurements of alcohol. It warns against the enticing visual appeal of wine—its rich color, sparkling appearance, and smooth descent—because such seductive qualities can easily lead to the destructive path described just before.
The Bible doesn't just warn against being drunk; it warns against looking at wine. Why such a strong emphasis on the initial gaze?
This verse is a powerful reminder that temptation often starts with our senses.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Proverbs 23:31-32 is available in the Sola app.
Wine 'goes down smoothly,' but what's the hidden reality? This verse reveals a deceptive danger disguised as pleasure.
The smooth, pleasing sensation of wine going down is a deceptive lure. The Bible wants us to see past the immediate pleasure to the inevitable consequences.
Understand the original words
yayin · Hebrew Noun
A fermented beverage derived from grapes; in the Bible, it is often associated with both joy/celebration and the potential for intoxication/lack of self-control.
nachash · Hebrew Noun
A reptile often used in Scripture as a metaphor for treachery, danger, temptation, or the destructive nature of evil.
tsiph'oniy · Hebrew Noun
A venomous snake; used here metaphorically to describe the painful and poisonous consequences of unchecked sin or intoxication.
Jesus warns against looking with lust, which parallels Proverbs' warning against looking at wine with desire, highlighting how the initial gaze can lead to sin.
Genesis 49:11-12This passage speaks of Judah binding his foal to the choice vine and washing his garments in the blood of grapes, showing the ancient cultural significance and prized nature of red wine, making the temptation in Proverbs more potent.
Song of Solomon 7:9This verse uses the phrase 'goeth down smoothly' for wine, mirroring the description in Proverbs 23:31, and shows how sensory pleasure can be a part of God's good creation, but also how it can be alluring to excess.
Romans 13:13-14Paul urges believers to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and not make provision for the flesh, which aligns with Proverbs' counsel to avoid the allurements of tempting pleasures like wine and focus on spiritual life.
Ephesians 5:18This passage contrasts being drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery, with being filled with the Spirit, directly addressing the destructive potential of uncontrolled wine consumption that Proverbs warns against.
bensonProverbs 23:31: "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright."
Proverbs 23:31-32 . Look not thou upon the wine — Earnestly, so as to inflame thine appetite toward it; in which sense men are forbidden to look upon a woman, Job 31:1 ; Matthew 5:28 . When it is red — Which was the colour of the best wines in that country, which therefore are called blood, Genesis 49:11 ; Deuteronomy 32:14 ; and such were used by them in the passove…
pulpitProverbs 23:31: "Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright."
Verse 31. - Look not thou upon the wine when it is red. Be not attracted by its beautiful appearance. The wine of Palestine was chiefly "red," though what we call white wine was not unknown. The Vulgate flavescit points to the latter. When it giveth his colour in the cup. For "color" the Hebrew has "eye," which refers to the sparkling and gleaming which show themselv…
The text emphasizes the deceptive allure of wine by highlighting its "eye" in the cup, suggesting it literally sparkles and seems to wink at the drinker. This personification draws us in, making the warning about its smooth, pleasant descent even more critical because those appealing qualities are precisely how it begins to ensnare us.
The verses leading up to this passage paint a stark picture of the consequences of drunkenness, detailing the woes, sorrows, and physical ailments it brings. This verse, therefore, serves as a direct, cautionary command, urging the reader to actively avoid even the initial allurements of alcohol. It warns against the enticing visual appeal of wine—its rich color, sparkling appearance, and smooth descent—because such seductive qualities can easily lead to the destructive path described just before.
The verses leading up to this passage paint a stark picture of the consequences of drunkenness, detailing the woes, sorrows, and physical ailments it brings. This verse, therefore, serves as a direct, cautionary command, urging the reader to actively avoid even the initial allurements of alcohol. It warns against the enticing visual appeal of wine—its rich color, sparkling appearance, and smooth descent—because such seductive qualities can easily lead to the destructive path described just before.
"Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder." — The text emphasizes the deceptive allure of wine by highlighting its "eye" in the cup, suggesting it literally sparkles and seems to wink at the drinker. This personification draws us in, making the…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
