Proverbs 23:5

because as soon as you look [MTY] at all the money that you have acquired, it will be gone; it will disappear as if it suddenly grew wings [SIM] and flew up into the sky like an eagle.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

In Context

4Do not cause yourself to become very tired by working very hard to become rich; be wise and stop doing that,

6If someone who is stingy invites you to a meal, do not eat a lot of his fine food,

Read all of Proverbs 23

Cross References

Job 1:14While they were doing that, a messenger arrived at Job’s home and said to him, “While your oxen were plowing the fields and the donkeys were grazing nearby,

Psalms 39:6Then we disappear like a shadow does. It seems that all that we do is for nothing/useless. We sometimes get a lot of money, but we do not know who will get it after we die.

Proverbs 27:24because the money that you acquired from selling animals previously will not ◄last/stay with you► forever; similarly [SIM], governments [MTY] certainly do not [RHQ] last forever.

Ecclesiastes 5:13I have seen another terrible thing that happens here on the earth [MTY]: People save up all their money and become rich, but they are not helped by saving a lot of money,

Isaiah 55:2What you really need is to have a close relationship with me, so ◄why do you spend money to buy things that do not supply what you really need?/you should not spend money to buy things that do not supply what you really need.► [RHQ] ◄Why do you work hard to get money to buy things that do not <satisfy your inner beings/cause you to be happy>?► [RHQ] Pay attention to what I say and acquire what is really good [MET]! If you do that, then you will truly be happy [MET].

Jeremiah 39:12“Make sure that no one harms him. Take care of him, and do for him whatever he requests you to do.”

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 23:5-6

4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. As some are given to appetite ( v. 2 ) so others to covetousness, and those Solomon here takes to task. Men cheat themselves as much by setting their hearts on money (though it seems most substantial) as by setting them on dainties. Observe, I. How he dissuades the covetous man from toiling and tormenting himself ( v. 4 ). "Do… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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