Proverbs 23:34

New Living Translation

You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast.

Parallel Translations

Update Bible Version
Yes, you shall be as he that lies down in the midst of the sea, Or as he that lies on the top of a mast.

New Century Version
You will feel dizzy as if you're in a storm on the ocean, as if you're on top of a ship's sails.

New English Translation
And you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, and like one who lies down on the top of the rigging.

Webster's Bible Translation
And thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

World English Bible
Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or as he who lies on top of the rigging:

Amplified Bible
And you will be [as unsteady] as one who lies down in the middle of the sea, And [as vulnerable to disaster] as one who lies down on the top of a ship's mast, saying,

English Standard Version
You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thou schalt be as a man slepinge in the myddis of the see, and as a gouernour aslepid, whanne the steere is lost.

English Revised Version
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

Berean Standard Bible
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas or lying on the top of a mast:

Contemporary English Version
You will feel tossed about like someone trying to sleep on a ship in a storm.

American Standard Version
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

Bible in Basic English
Yes, you will be like him who takes his rest on the sea, or on the top of a sail-support.

Complete Jewish Bible
You will feel as if lying on the waves of the sea or sprawled on top of the mast —

Darby Translation
and thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, and as he that lieth down upon the top of a mast:

Easy-to-Read Version
When you lie down, you will think you are on a rough sea and feel like you are at the top of the mast.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

King James Version (1611)
Yea thou shalt be as he that lyeth downe in the midst of the sea, or as he that lyeth vpon the top of a mast.

New Life Bible
And you will be like one who lies down in the center of the sea, or like one who lies above a ship's sail.

New Revised Standard
You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And thou shalt bee as one that sleepeth in the middes of the sea, and as hee that sleepeth in the toppe of the maste.

George Lamsa Translation
Yea, you shall be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, or as a sailor in a tempest.

Good News Translation
You will feel as if you were out on the ocean, seasick, swinging high up in the rigging of a tossing ship.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So shalt thou become, as one lying down in the heart of the sea, - or as one lying down on the top of the mastgear:

Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou shalt be as one sleeping in the midst of the sea, and as a pilot fast asleep when the stern is lost.

Revised Standard Version
You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Yea thou shalt be as though thou layest in the middest of the sea, or slepest vppon the top of the maste of a ship.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt lie as in the midst of the sea, and as a pilot in a great storm.

Christian Standard Bible®
You’ll be like someone sleeping out at seaor lying down on the top of a ship’s mast.

Hebrew Names Version
Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or as he who lies on top of the rigging:

King James Version
Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

Lexham English Bible
And you will be like him who lies down in the heart of the sea, and like him who lies down on top of a mast.

Literal Translation
yes, you shall be as one who lies down in the middle of the sea, or as he who lies on the top of a mast,

Young's Literal Translation
And thou hast been as one lying down in the heart of the sea, And as one lying down on the top of a mast.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yee thou shalt be as though thou slepte, in ye myddest of ye see, or vpo ye toppe of the mast.

New American Standard Bible
And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.

New King James Version
Yes, you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or like one who lies at the top of the mast, saying:

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And you will be like one who lies down in the middle of the sea, Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.

Legacy Standard Bible
And you will be like one who lies down in the heart of the sea,Or like one who lies down on the top of a mast.

Contextual Overview

²⁹ Who has anguish? Who has sorrow? Who is always fighting? Who is always complaining? Who has unnecessary bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? ³⁰ It is the one who spends long hours in the taverns, trying out new drinks. ³¹ Don't gaze at the wine, seeing how red it is, how it sparkles in the cup, how smoothly it goes down. ³² For in the end it bites like a poisonous snake; it stings like a viper. ³³ You will see hallucinations, and you will say crazy things. ³⁴ You will stagger like a sailor tossed at sea, clinging to a swaying mast. ³⁵ And you will say, "They hit me, but I didn't feel it. I didn't even know it when they beat me up. When will I wake up so I can look for another drink?"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thou: 1 Samuel 25:33-38, 1 Samuel 30:16, 1 Samuel 30:17, 2 Samuel 13:28, 1 Kings 16:9, 1 Kings 20:16-22, Joel 1:5, Matthew 24:38, Luke 17:27-29, Luke 21:34, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-7

midst: Heb. heart, Exodus 15:8

Reciprocal: Judges 16:19 - she made Proverbs 6:10 - General Matthew 26:43 - for

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yea, thou shall be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea,.... Not in the open sea, and the waves of it, there fluctuating and tossed about; nor in an island encompassed by sea; but in a ship at sea, a drunken man reels and tumbles about, just as a ship does at sea; hence the motions and agitations of it, and of the men in it, are compared to the reeling and staggering of a drunken man,

Psalms 107:26;

or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast: where the motion is the greatest. Or all this may be expressive of the dangers which a drunkard is exposed unto, and of his stupidity and insensibility; for though he is in as great danger as one in the circumstances described, in a storm at sea, yet is not sensible of it; which agrees with what follows.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Another continuous exhortation rather than a collection of maxims.

Proverbs 23:16

The teacher rejoices when the disciple’s heart Proverbs 23:15 receives wisdom, and yet more when his lips can utter it.

Reins - See Job 19:27 note.

Proverbs 23:17

Envy sinners - Compare in Psalms 37:1; Psalms 73:3; the feeling which looks half-longingly at the prosperity of evil doers. Some connect the verb “envy” with the second clause, “envy not sinners, but envy, emulate, the fear of the Lord.”

Proverbs 23:18

Or, For if there is an end (hereafter), thine expectations shall not be cut off. There is an implied confidence in immortality.

Proverbs 23:20

Riotous eaters of flesh - The word is the same as “glutton” in Proverbs 23:21 and Deuteronomy 21:20.

Proverbs 23:21

The three forms of evil that destroy reputation and tempt to waste are brought together.

Drowsiness - Specially the drunken sleep, heavy and confused.

Proverbs 23:26

Observe - Another reading gives, “let thine eyes delight in my ways.”

Proverbs 23:28

As for a prey - Better as in the margin.

The transgressors - Better, the treacherous,” those that attack men treacherously.

Proverbs 23:29

Woe ... sorrow - The words in the original are interjections, probably expressing distress. The sharp touch of the satirist reproduces the actual inarticulate utterances of drunkenness.

Proverbs 23:30

Mixed wine - Wine flavored with aromatic spices, that increase its stimulating properties Isaiah 5:22. There is a touch of sarcasm in “go to seek.” The word, elsewhere used of diligent search after knowledge Proverbs 25:2; Job 11:7; Psalms 139:1, is used here of the investigations of connoisseurs in wine meeting to test its qualities.

Proverbs 23:31

His color - literally, “its eye,” the clear brightness, or the beaded bubbles on which the wine drinker looks with complacency.

It moveth itself aright - The Hebrew word describes the pellucid stream flowing pleasantly from the wineskin or jug into the goblet or the throat (compare Song of Solomon 7:9), rather than a sparkling wine.

Proverbs 23:32

Adder - Said to be the Cerastes, or horned snake.

Proverbs 23:34

The passage is interesting, as showing the increased familiarity of Israelites with the experiences of sea life (compare Psalms 104:25-26; Psalms 107:23-30).

In the midst of the sea - i. e., When the ship is in the trough of the sea and the man is on the deck. The second clause varies the form of danger, the man is in the “cradle” at the top of the mast, and sleeps there, regardless of the danger.

Proverbs 23:35

The picture ends with the words of the drunkard on waking from his sleep. Unconscious of the excesses of the night, his first thought is to return to his old habit.

When shall I awake ... - Better, when I shall awake I will seek it yet again.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 23:34. Lieth down in the midst of the sea — He is utterly regardless of life; which is expressed very forcibly by one in a state of intoxication ascending the shrouds, clasping the mast-head, and there falling asleep; whence, in a few moments, he must either fall down upon the deck and be dashed to pieces, or fall into the sea and be drowned. Reader, if thou be a man given to this appetite, put a knife to thy throat.