Proverbs Chapter 21 verse 17 Holy Bible
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
read chapter 21 in ASV
The lover of pleasure will be a poor man: the lover of wine and oil will not get wealth.
read chapter 21 in BBE
He that loveth mirth shall be a poor man; he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
read chapter 21 in DARBY
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
read chapter 21 in KJV
read chapter 21 in WBT
He who loves pleasure shall be a poor man: He who loves wine and oil shall not be rich.
read chapter 21 in WEB
Whoso `is' loving mirth `is' a poor man, Whoso is loving wine and oil maketh no wealth.
read chapter 21 in YLT
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 17. - He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man; qui diligit epulas, Vulgate; for feasts are chiefly, though not exclusively, intended. He shall become "a man of want" (machesor) as Proverbs 11:24. He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich. "Wine and oil" were the usual adjuncts of banquets (Psalm 23:5; Psalm 104:15). Some unguents used for anointing honoured guests were very costly. The pound of spikenard expended by Mary of Bethany was worth more than three hundred pence - the wages of a labourer for nearly a whole year (see John 12:3; Matthew 20:2). Indulgence in such luxuries would be a token of prodigality and extravagance, which are the sure precursors of ruin; while, on the other hand, according to the trite proverb, Magnum vectigal est parsimonia. That fulness of meat and luxurious habits tend to spiritual poverty and the loss of grace, need not be insisted on. Septuagint, "A man in want (ἐνδεὴς) loveth mirth, loving wine and oil unto wealth (εἰς πλοῦτον)." Some translate the last words, "in abundance," as if the meaning was that the poor endeavours to mitigate the severity of his lot by getting all the pleasure he can from creature comforts however procured. Others think that a negative has fallen out of the Greek, which should be, "not unto wealth," i.e. he shall not be enriched thereby.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(17) Wine and oil.--The accompaniments of a feast. The oil, or precious unguents, were poured over the head (comp. Psalm 23:5). It was the excessive love and gratitude of the two Marys (Luke 7:38; John 12:3) which prompted them to anoint the Lord's feet. These perfumes were sometimes of great value, the "pound of ointment of spikenard" (John 12:3) was worth "more than three hundred pence" (10 12s. 6d.), the wages of a day labourer (Matthew 20:2) for nearly a year.
