Proverbs 23:2
And put a knife to thy throat, if it be so that thou have thy soul in thy own power.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner, 1752)
In The King James Version
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
In Context
1When thou shalt sit to eat with a prince, consider diligently what is set before thy face:
3Be not desirous of his meats, in which is the bread of deceit.
Cross References
Genesis 27:14He went, and brought, and gave them to his mother. She dressed meats, such as she knew his father liked.
1 Corinthians 9:27But I chastise my body and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway. I chastise, etc... Here St. Paul shews the necessity of self-denial and mortification, to subdue the flesh, and its inordinate desires.
Matthew Henry on Proverbs 23:2-4
Cautions against Luxury and Covetousness. 1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. 3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. The sin we are here warned against is luxury and sensuality, and the indulgence of the appetite in eating and drinking, a sin that most easily besets us. 1. We are here told when we enter into temptation, and are in most danger of falling into this sin: " When… Read the whole commentary →