Proverbs 23:1 | DiscipleDeck

Bible Commentary

Proverbs 23:1

This verse counsels humility and thoughtfulness in the presence of the powerful. The banquet table of a ruler is not the place for carelessness or appetite-driven behaviour. Wisdom requires reading the situation and governing yourself accordingly.

Memory phrase: Be wise at the table.

Talk about it: Why should we be careful and thoughtful around important people?

Prayer: God, help me think carefully in every situation.

The Daily Devotional

One devotional. Every morning.

The full reading, the passage behind it, and where to go deeper — in your inbox before the day starts. No ads, ever.

We'll send one email to confirm it's really you. Unsubscribe in one tap, any time.

Continue tomorrow

Turn Bible study into a daily habit

Read today's devotional, save your progress, and receive a gentle daily reminder.

Read today's devotional Save my progress

More for Proverbs 23:1

Continue with other commentaries and DiscipleDeck content connected to this verse, chapter, or topic.

Other commentaries

Proverbs 23 — OverviewProverbs 23 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleCautions against Luxury and Covetousness.Proverbs 23 — OverviewProverbs 23 · Little Bible — for children and parentsProverbs 23 gives wisdom for everyday life — eating with powerful people, working hard without greed, honouring your parents, guarding your heart, and avoiding the trap of wine. At its centre is a call to seek truth and…Proverbs 23:1-3Proverbs 23:1-3 · Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleThe 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…Proverbs 23:1Proverbs 23:1 · The Pulpit CommentaryWhen thou sittest to eat with a ruler. This, of course, would be a great honour to a man of lowly birth, or to one of the middle class, to whom the manners of courts and palaces were practically unknown. Consider…Proverbs 23:1-3Proverbs 23:1-3 · The Pulpit CommentaryA hexastich closely connected with the last verse of the preceding chapter, as if the warning was addressed to the man of skill whom his talents had made the guest of kings.Proverbs 23:1-3Proverbs 23:1-3 · The Pulpit CommentarySycophancy and independence The reader is here warned against the danger of depending too much on the favour of great people. Possibly that favour is only offered as a bribe, and the unwary recipient of it may be no…

commentaryRecommended resourceExplore this resource connected to the verse you are reading.commentaryRecommended resourceExplore this resource connected to the verse you are reading.commentaryRecommended resourceExplore this resource connected to the verse you are reading.