Proverbs 23:5
WEB
Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
BSB
When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.
KJV
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H5774
v n-f — fly, faint
Derivation: a primitive root; to cover (with wings or obscurity); hence (as denominative from 5775)
to fly; also (by implication of dimness) to faint (from the darkness of swooning)
KJV: brandish, be (wax) faint, flee away, fly (away), × set, shine forth, weary.
vb — fly
עוּף vb. fly
Qal
1.
a. fly, of birds
b. hover (protectingly)
2. fly away
Hiph. dost thou cause thine eyes to fly
Pō‛l.
1. fly about, to and fro
2. cause to fly to and fro, brandish
Hithpō‛l. like a bird their glory shall fly away
H5869
n-f — eye, fountain, eye
Derivation: probably a primitive word;
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
KJV: affliction, outward appearance, before, think best, colour, conceit, be content, countenance, displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), × him, humble, knowledge, look, ( well), × me, open(-ly), (not) please, presence, regard, resemblance, sight, × thee, × them, think, × us, well, × you(-rselves).
n.f — spring
n.f — eye
עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye
1. lit. as physical organ
2.
a. eyes as showing mental qualities
b. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
3. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
2. Transferred mngs.:
a. visible surface of earth
b. appearance
c. gleam, sparkle
5. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
H369
np — nonentity
Derivation: as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist;
a nonentity; generally used as a negative particle
KJV: else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare 370.
subst — nothing
אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought
1. to nothing, as nothing
2. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not
3. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not
4. in circumst. clauses
5. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to …
6. with prefixes
H3588
conj — relative conjunction
Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
conj — that
כִּי conj. that, for, when
1. that
2.
a. Of time, when, of the past
b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
3. Because, since
relative conjunction
כִּי אם־
1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
a. that if
b. for if
2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
a. limiting the prec. clause, except
b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
c. after an oath, surely
forasmuch as
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
H6213
v — do, make
Derivation: a primitive root;
to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
KJV: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, × certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, feast, (fight-) ing man, finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, hinder, hold (a feast), × indeed, be industrious, journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, × sacrifice, serve, set, shew, × sin, spend, × surely, take, × thoroughly, trim, × very, vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.
vb — do
עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make
Qal 2524
I.
1. do (1560 t.)
2. deal with
3. oft. in phr. do kindness with
4. abs. act, act with effect
II.
1. make (670 t.)
2. produce, yield
3. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
4. make offering
5. attend to, put in order
6. observe, celebrate, religious festival
7. acquire property of various kinds
8. appoint priests
9. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
10. use
11. spend, pass, days of life
Niph. 97
1. be done
2.
a. be made, of concr. things
b. be produced from vine
c. be prepared, of food
d. be offered
e. be observed, passover
f. be used
Pu. I was made
vb — press
[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze
H3671
n-f — edge, extremity, wing, flap, quarter, pinnacle
Derivation: from 3670;
an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bedclothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle
KJV: bird, border, corner, end, feather(-ed), × flying, (one an-) other, overspreading, × quarters, skirt, × sort, uttermost part, wing(-ed).
n.f — wing
כָּנָף 109 n.f. wing, extremity
H5404
n-m — eagle
Derivation: from an unused root meaning to lacerate;
the eagle (or other large bird of prey)
KJV: eagle.
n.m — griffon-vulture
נֶשֶׁר n.m. griffon-vulture, eagle
H8064
n-m — sky, aloft
Derivation: dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה; from an unused root meaning to be lofty;
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve)
KJV: air, × astrologer, heaven(-s).
n.m — heavens
[שָׁמַי] n.m. only pl. שָׁמַיִם 421 heavens, sky
1.
a. visible heavens, sky, where stars, etc., are
b. phrases
2.
a. as abode of God
b. Elijah taken up הַשּׁ׳ in whirlwind
3. הַשּׁ׳ personified in various relations
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Verses 4–5
Proverbs 23:4–5
As some are given to appetite (Pro 23:2) so others to covetousness, and those Solomon here takes to task. Men cheat themselves as much by setting their hearts on money (though it seems most substantial) as by setting them on dainties. Observe,
I. How he dissuades the covetous man from toiling and tormenting himself (Pro 23:4). "Do not aim to be rich, to raise an estate, and to make what thou hast in abundance more than it is." We must endeavor to live comfortably, and provide for our children and families, according as our rank and condition are, but we must not seek great things. Be not of those that will be rich, that desire it as their chief good and design it as their highest end, Ti1 6:9. Covetous men think it is their wisdom, imagining that if they be rich to such a degree they shall be completely happy. Cease from that wisdom, for it is a mistake; a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses, Luk 12:15. 1. Those that aim at great things fill their hands with business more than they can grasp, so that their life is both a perfect drudgery and a perpetual hurry; but be not thou such a fool; labour not to be rich. What thou hast, or doest, be master of it, and not a slave to it as those that rise up early, sit up late, and eat the bread of carefulness, and all to be rich. Moderate labour, that we may have to give, is our wisdom and duty, Eph 4:28. Immoderate labour, that we may have to hoard, is our sin and folly. 2. They fill their heads with projects more than they understand, so that their life is a constant toss of care and fear; but do not thou thus vex thyself: Cease from thy own wisdom; go on quietly in the way of thy business, not contriving new ways and setting thy wits to work to find out new inventions. Acquiesce in God's wisdom, and cease from thy own, Pro 3:5, Pro 3:6.
II. How he dissuades the covetous man from cheating and deceiving himself by an inordinate love and pursuit of that which is vanity and vexation of spirit; for,
1. It is not substantial and satisfying: "Wilt thou be such a fool as to set thy eyes, to cause thy eyes to fly with eagerness and violence, upon that which is not?" Note, (1.) The things of this world are things that are not. They have a real existence in nature and are the real gifts of Providence, but in the kingdom of grace they are things that are not; they are not a happiness and portion for a soul, are not what they promise to be nor what we expect them to be; they are a show, a shadow, a sham upon the soul that trusts to them. They are not, for in a little while they will not be, they will not be ours; they perish in the using; the fashion of them passes away. (2.) It is therefore folly for us to set our eyes upon them, to admire them as the best things, to appropriate them to ourselves as our good things, and to aim at them as our mark at which all our actions are levelled, to fly upon them as the eagle upon her prey. "Wilt thou do a thing so absurd in itself? What thou, a reasonable creature, wilt thou dote upon shadows? The eyes are put for rational and intellectual powers; wilt thou throw those away upon such undeserving objects? To set the hands and feet upon the world is well enough, but not the eyes, the eyes of the mind; those were made to contemplate better things. Wilt thou, my son, that professest religion, put such an affront upon God (towards whom the eyes should ever be) and such an abuse upon thy soul?"
2. It is not durable and abiding. Riches are very uncertain things; certainly they are so: They make themselves wings, and fly away. The more we cause our eyes to fly upon them the more likely they are to fly away from us. (1.) Riches will leave us. Those that hold them ever so fast cannot hold them long; either they must be taken from us or we must be taken from them. The goods are said to flow away as a stream (Job 20:28), here to flee as a bird. (2.) Perhaps they may leave us suddenly, when we have taken a great deal of pains for them and begin to take a great deal of pride and pleasure in them. The covetous man sits hatching upon his wealth, and brooding over it, till it is fledged, as the young ones under the hen, and then it is gone. Or, as if a man should be fond of a flight of wild-fowl that light in his field, and call them his own because they are upon his ground, whereas, if he offers to come near them, they take wing immediately and are gone to another man's field. (3.) The wings they fly away upon are of their own making. They have in themselves the principles of their own corruption, their own moth and rust. They are wasting in their own nature, and like a handful of dust, which, if it be grasped, slips through the fingers. Snow will last awhile, and look pretty, if it be left to lie on the ground where it fell, but, if gathered up and laid in the bosom, it is dissolved and gone immediately. (4.) They go irresistibly and irrecoverably, as an eagle toward heaven, that flies strongly (there is no stopping her), and flies out of sight and out of call (there is no bringing her back); thus do riches leave men, and leave them in grief and vexation if they set their hearts upon them.
Cross-references: Prov 23:2 · Prov 23:4 · 1Tim 6:9 · Luke 12:15 · Eph 4:28 · Prov 3:5 · Prov 3:6 · Job 20:28