Proverbs 21:17

He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
– Proverbs 21:17

Loving pleasure, or joy, and wine and oil means pursuing and indulging in luxury. Wisdom warns such pursuits and indulgences lead to poverty. The word for poor means need, or lack. The word for rich means wealth, or abundance. The just in Proverbs 21:15 do not pursue pleasure (the same word is translated joy there) as an end in itself, but rather pursue judgment and find pleasure. The problem is not with the wine, oil, or even pleasure, but rather with the misplaced love that gluttonously pursues them. A greedy appetite will never be satisfied (Ecclesiastes 5:10) and will leave a man in rags (Proverbs 23:21).

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