Proverbs 4:17

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

For they eat {H3898} the bread {H3899} of wickedness {H7562}, and drink {H8354} the wine {H3196} of violence {H2555}.

For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

Commentary

Proverbs 4:17, found within a larger discourse on the importance of wisdom and the dangers of evil, uses vivid metaphorical language to describe the lifestyle of the wicked. It serves as a stark warning to those who would consider straying from the path of righteousness.

Context

This verse is part of a father's instruction to his son, urging him to embrace and guard wisdom (Proverbs 4:1-9). The passage immediately preceding verse 17, from Proverbs 4:14-16, explicitly warns against entering "the path of the wicked" or walking "in the way of evil men." Verse 17 then describes the very nature and sustenance of those who choose such a destructive path, highlighting their deep immersion in wrongdoing.

Key Themes

  • The Sustenance of Sin: The imagery of "eating bread" and "drinking wine" suggests that wickedness and violence are not merely occasional actions for these individuals but are their fundamental source of nourishment, livelihood, and even pleasure. They are deeply ingrained habits and the very fabric of their existence.
  • The Nature of Evil: This verse portrays evil not as a passive state but as an active, consuming force. The wicked actively derive their strength and satisfaction from acts of injustice and cruelty.
  • Contrast with Wisdom's Path: This verse stands in sharp contrast to the invitations of wisdom, which offers true nourishment and lasting life. Wisdom calls out, "Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled," offering life and understanding instead of wickedness and violence.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew terms used here emphasize the depth of corruption:

  • "Bread of wickedness" (lechem resha): Lechem (bread) signifies basic sustenance, what one lives by. Resha (wickedness) denotes injustice, guilt, or wrongdoing. Thus, their very existence is sustained by unrighteousness.
  • "Wine of violence" (yayin chamas): Yayin (wine) often represents joy, celebration, or indulgence. Chamas (violence) refers to injustice, cruelty, or oppression. This suggests that their pleasures and revelries are rooted in oppressive and harmful acts against others. They find enjoyment and satisfaction in their destructive behavior.

Practical Application

Proverbs 4:17 challenges us to reflect on what truly nourishes our lives, both spiritually and morally. Just as physical food sustains the body, our choices and actions determine what feeds our soul and character. To avoid the path of the wicked:

  • Examine Your Diet: Consider what you consume mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Do your influences (media, relationships, thoughts) promote goodness and peace, or do they subtly encourage harmful attitudes and actions?
  • Choose Your Company Wisely: The "they" in this verse refers to evil companions. The people we associate with can profoundly influence our moral sustenance. As 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns, "Evil communications corrupt good manners."
  • Seek Righteous Sustenance: Instead of the bread of wickedness, seek the bread of life, which is Christ (John 6:35). Instead of the wine of violence, seek the joy and peace found in following God's wisdom, which leads to a path of light and life (Proverbs 4:18).
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Cross-References

  • Micah 6:12

    For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue [is] deceitful in their mouth.

  • Psalms 14:4

    ¶ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people [as] they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.

  • Matthew 23:13

    But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

  • James 5:4

    Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

  • James 5:5

    Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

  • Amos 8:4

    ¶ Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail,

  • Amos 8:6

    That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; [yea], and sell the refuse of the wheat?
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