Proverbs 23:21

For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
– Proverbs 23:21

The word for poverty means dispossessed, which can be inheritance but at least denotes impoverishing loss. Wisdom here looks to the end of the way of drunkards and gluttons. The word for drowsiness means sleepiness, and is put for indolence. The saying likely includes a third form of excess, indulging in sleep and rest. This is a feature of the sluggard, with the same consequences (Proverbs 6:9-11; 19:15; 24:30-34). All could be generally characterized as lovers of pleasure, and their fate is the same (Proverbs 21:17).

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Proverbs 23:20

Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
– Proverbs 23:20

The saying continues with warning against companionship with two types of over indulgers. The word for wine means an intoxicating drink from grapes. The word for bibbers means to quaff, or to drink heartily. The phrase describes a drunkard, one who drinks excessively. Elsewhere, Proverbs warns against those who “tarry long at the wine” (Proverbs 23:29-35). The word for riotous eaters means to quake, be vile, or loose morally. Here it describes a glutton, an overeater. Both qualities describe those who have no self-control or self-discipline. Excessive eating and drinking are often symptoms of larger root problems. Wisdom teaches to walk with wise men and avoid companionship with fools of all sorts (Proverbs 2:20; 13:20; 28:7; 29:3).

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