Proverbs 23

“When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:” The line’s distinctive content terms include consider, diligently, ruler. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.” The line’s distinctive content terms include appetite, knife, throat. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.” The line’s distinctive content terms include dainties, deceitful, desirous. Its relationship to verses 2 and 4 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.” Naming Labour keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:” Naming Eat keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.” The line’s distinctive content terms include eaten, lose, morsel. Its relationship to verses 9 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.” Naming Speak keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless:” Naming Remove keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.” Naming Apply keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.” The line’s distinctive content terms include envy, fear, heart. Its relationship to verses 16 and 18 shows what work it does in this passage.

“For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.” Naming Hear keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:” The line’s distinctive content terms include eaters, flesh, riotous. Its relationship to verses 19 and 21 shows what work it does in this passage.

“For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.” Naming Hearken keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” Naming Buy keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” The line’s distinctive content terms include eyes, heart, observe. Its relationship to verses 25 and 27 shows what work it does in this passage.

“For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.” Naming She keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.” The line’s distinctive content terms include wine, long, mixed. Its relationship to verses 29 and 31 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.” Naming Look keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.” The line’s distinctive content terms include adder, biteth, last. Its relationship to verses 31 and 33 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“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.” Naming Yea keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.