Focused Passage

Proverbs 23:29-35

Guarded Desire, Wise Discipline, the Fear of the LORD, and Warnings Against Envy, Gluttony, Lust, and Drunkenness

The chapter moves through warnings about appetite and wealth, discernment at corrupt tables, protection of boundaries and the fatherless, heart-applied instruction and discipline, parental joy, fear of the LORD over envy, warnings against gluttony and drunkenness, honoring parents, buying truth, sexual purity, and a final extended portrait of wine's deceptive destruction.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?

30 Those who linger over wine, who go to taste mixed drinks.

31 Do not gaze at wine while it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.

32 In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.

33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will utter perversities.

34 You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast:

35 “They struck me, but I feel no pain! They beat me, but I did not know it! When can I wake up to search for another drink?”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 29

Original words

Who לְמִ֨י H4310 Preposition-l | Interrogative has woe א֥וֹי H188 Interjection Who לְמִ֪י H4310 Preposition-l | Interrogative has sorrow אֲב֡וֹי H17 Interjection Who לְמִ֤י H4310 Preposition-l | Interrogative has contentions מְדוֹנִים H4066 Noun - masculine plural Who לְמִ֥י H4310 Preposition-l | Interrogative has complaints שִׂ֗יחַ H7879 Noun - masculine singular Who לְ֭מִי H4310 Preposition-l | Interrogative {has} needless חִנָּ֑ם H2600 Adverb wounds פְּצָעִ֣ים H6482 Noun - masculine plural Who לְ֝מִ֗י H4310 Preposition-l | Interrogative has bloodshot חַכְלִל֥וּת H2448 Noun - feminine singular construct eyes עֵינָֽיִם׃ H5869 Noun - cd
Verse 30

Original words

Those who linger לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים H309 Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural over עַל־ H5921 Preposition wine הַיָּ֑יִן H3196 Article | Noun - masculine singular who go לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים H935 Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural to taste לַחְקֹ֥ר H2713 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct mixed drinks מִמְסָֽךְ׃ H4469 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 31

Original words

Do not אַל־ H408 Adverb gaze at תֵּ֥רֶא H7200 Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular wine יַיִן֮ H3196 Noun - masculine singular while כִּ֪י H3588 Conjunction it is red יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם H119 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular when כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction it sparkles יִתֵּ֣ן H5414 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular in the cup בַּכִּיס H3599 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular . . . עֵינ֑וֹ H5869 Noun - common singular construct | third person masculine singular and goes down smoothly יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ H1980 Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular . . . בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃ H4339 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 32

Original words

In the end אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ H319 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular it bites יִשָּׁ֑ךְ H5391 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular like a snake כְּנָחָ֣שׁ H5175 Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular and stings יַפְרִֽשׁ׃ H6567 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular like a viper וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י H6848 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Verse 33

Original words

Your eyes עֵ֭ינֶיךָ H5869 Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular will see יִרְא֣וּ H7200 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural strange things זָר֑וֹת H2114 Adjective - feminine plural and your mind וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗ H3820 Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular will utter יְדַבֵּ֥ר H1696 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular perversities תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃ H8419 Noun - feminine plural
Verse 34

Original words

You will be וְ֭הָיִיתָ H1961 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular like one sleeping כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב H7901 Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular . . . בְּלֶב־ H3820 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct on the high seas יָ֑ם H3220 Noun - masculine singular or lying וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב H7901 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular on the top בְּרֹ֣אשׁ H7218 Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct of a mast חִבֵּֽל׃ H2260 Noun - masculine singular
Verse 35

Original words

They struck me הִכּ֥וּנִי H5221 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular but I feel no בַל־ H1077 Adverb pain חָלִיתִי֮ H2470 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular They beat me הֲלָמ֗וּנִי H1986 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular but I did not בַּל־ H1077 Adverb know it! יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי H3045 Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular When מָתַ֥י H4970 Interrogative can I wake up אָקִ֑יץ H6974 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular to search for אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ H1245 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular another א֝וֹסִ֗יף H3254 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular drink עֽוֹד׃ H5750 Adverb

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.