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Easy-to-Read Version

Proverbs 23:2

Never eat too much, even if you are very hungry.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abstemiousness;   Citizens;   Guest;   Manners;   Prudence;   Self-Denial;   Temperance;   Thompson Chain Reference - Appetites;   Eating;   Food;   Food, Physical-Spiritual;   Gluttony;   Knives;   Power;   Self-Denial;   Self-Indulgence;   Self-Indulgence-Self-Denial;   Social Duties;   Temperance;   Temperance-Intemperance;   The Topic Concordance - Consideration;   Desire;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Diet of the Jews, the;   Gluttony;   Self-Denial;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Food;   Self-discipline;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Person, Personhood;   Soul;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Heart;   Pardon;   Temperance;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Knife;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   King James Dictionary - Appetite;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Knife;   Throat;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Appetite;   Dainties;   Knife;   Proverbs, Book of;   Wisdom;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and put a knife to your throatif you have a big appetite;
Hebrew Names Version
Put a knife to your throat, If you are a man given to appetite.
King James Version
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
English Standard Version
and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.
New American Standard Bible
And put a knife to your throat If you are a person of great appetite.
New Century Version
Control yourself if you have a big appetite.
Amplified Bible
For you will put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.
World English Bible
Put a knife to your throat, If you are a man given to appetite.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And put the knife to thy throte, if thou be a man giuen to the appetite.
Legacy Standard Bible
So you should put a knife to your throatIf you are a man of appetite.
Berean Standard Bible
and put a knife to your throat if you possess a great appetite.
Contemporary English Version
Don't go and stuff yourself! That would be just the same as cutting your throat.
Complete Jewish Bible
If you have a big appetite, put a knife to your throat!
Darby Translation
and put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
George Lamsa Translation
That you may not put poison in your mouth. And if you are a man given to excessive appetite,
Good News Translation
If you have a big appetite, restrain yourself.
Lexham English Bible
and you shall put a knife to your throat if you have a big appetite.
Literal Translation
and put a knife to your throat if you are an owner of an appetite.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
that are set before ye Measure thine appetite:
American Standard Version
And put a knife to thy throat, If thou be a man given to appetite.
Bible in Basic English
And put a knife to your throat, if you have a strong desire for food.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
King James Version (1611)
And put a knife to thy throate, if thou be a man giuen to appetite.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Measure thyne appetite if it be gredyly set.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and apply thine hand, knowing that it behoves thee to prepare such meats: but if thou art very insatiable,
English Revised Version
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and sette thou a withholding in thi throte. If netheles thou hast power on thi soule,
Update Bible Version
And put a knife to your throat, If you are a man given to appetite.
Webster's Bible Translation
And put a knife to thy throat, if thou [art] a man given to appetite.
New English Translation
and put a knife to your throat if you possess a large appetite.
New King James Version
And put a knife to your throat If you are a man given to appetite.
New Living Translation
If you are a big eater, put a knife to your throat;
New Life Bible
Put a knife to your neck if you are a man who is given to much eating.
New Revised Standard
and put a knife to your throat if you have a big appetite.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And shalt put a knife to thy throat, if, of great appetite, thou art:
Douay-Rheims Bible
And put a knife to thy throat, if it be so that thou have thy soul in thy own power.
Revised Standard Version
and put a knife to your throat if you are a man given to appetite.
Young's Literal Translation
And thou hast put a knife to thy throat, If thou [art] a man of appetite.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And put a knife to your throat If you are a man of great appetite.

Contextual Overview

1 When you sit and eat with an important person, remember who you are with. 2 Never eat too much, even if you are very hungry. 3 Don't eat too much of his fine food. It might be a trick.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 18:8, Matthew 18:9, 1 Corinthians 9:27, Philippians 3:19

Reciprocal: Genesis 27:14 - mother Proverbs 12:27 - slothful

Cross-References

Genesis 13:18
So Abram moved his tents. He went to live near the big trees of Mamre. This was near the city of Hebron. There he built an altar to honor the Lord .
Genesis 23:14
Ephron answered Abraham,
Genesis 23:15
"Sir, listen to me. Ten pounds of silver mean nothing to you or me. Take the land and bury your dead wife."
Genesis 23:16
Abraham understood that Ephron was telling him the price of the land. So Abraham paid him for the land. He weighed out ten pounds of silver for Ephron and gave it to the merchant.
Genesis 23:19
After this, Abraham buried his wife Sarah in the cave of that field near Mamre (Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
Genesis 27:41
After that Esau hated Jacob because of this blessing. Esau said to himself, "My father will soon die, and after we are finished with that, I will kill Jacob."
Genesis 50:10
They went to Goren Atad, east of the Jordan River. There they had a long funeral service for Israel, which continued for seven days.
Numbers 13:22
They entered the country through the Negev and went to Hebron. (The town of Hebron was built seven years before the town of Zoan in Egypt.) Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai lived there. These men were descendants of Anak.
Numbers 20:29
All the Israelites learned that Aaron was dead. So everyone in Israel mourned for 30 days.
Deuteronomy 34:8
The Israelites cried for Moses for 30 days. They stayed in the Jordan Valley in Moab until the time of sadness was finished.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And put a knife to thy throat,.... Refrain from too much talk at the table; give not too loose to thy tongue, but bridle it, considering in whose presence thou art; do not use too much freedom, either with the ruler or fellow guests; which, when persons have ate and drank well, they are too apt to do, and sometimes say things offensive to one or the other; it is good for a man to be upon his guard; see Ecclesiastes 5:2. Or restrain thine appetite; deny thyself of some things agreeable, that would lead thee to what might be hurtful, at least if indulged to excess: put as it were a knife unto thine appetite, and mortify it; which is the same as cutting off a right hand, or plucking out a right eye Matthew 5:29. Or while thou art at such a table, at such a sumptuous entertainment, consider thyself as in danger, as if thou hadst a knife at thy throat; and shouldest thou be too free with the food or liquor, it would be as it were cutting thine own throat;

if thou [be] a man given to appetite; there is then the more danger; and therefore such a person should be doubly on his guard, since he is in the way of temptation to that he is naturally inclined to. Or, "if thou art master of appetite" r: so the Targum,

"if thou art master of thy soul;''

if thou hast power over it, and the command of it, and canst restrain it with ease; to which agrees the Vulgate Latin version: but the former sense is more agreeable to the Hebrew idiom.

r בעל נפש "dominus animae", Vatablus, Mercerus, Michaelis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

i. e., “Restrain thy appetite, eat as if the knife were at thy throat.” Others render the words “thou wilt put a knife to thy throat” etc., i. e., “indulgence at such a time may endanger thy very life.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 23:2. Put a knife to thy throat — Repress thy appetite, and do not be incontinent of speech. Eat, drink, and converse, under a check.


 
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