Proverbs 21:17 · Bible study
Proverbs 21:17 Commentary: Pleasure, Wine, Oil, A Warning
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine the contrast between loving pleasure and receiving wine and oil as God's gifts.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A habitual love of pleasure and luxury leads to material and spiritual poverty.
- Key words: ‘ʾōhēv’ (loves) Qal participle = settled, ongoing disposition; ‘śimḥāh’ (pleasure); ‘yayin va-shemen’ (wine and oil) = costly banquet items.
- Main debate: Whether the warning is absolute (every pleasure-lover becomes poor) or proverbial (general principle with exceptions); whether it applies only to material poverty or also to spiritual poverty.
- Theological theme: Ordered loves, God intends good gifts to be received with gratitude, not made into idols. Stewardship over consumption.
- Best use: A counterweight to both asceticism and indulgence; calls for self-examination about what our spending and time reveal about our hearts.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He who loves pleasure will become poor; the one who loves wine and oil will never be rich.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He who loves pleasure will be a poor man. He who loves wine and oil won’t be rich.
KJV King James Version 1769
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Whoso is loving mirth is a poor man, Whoso is loving wine and oil maketh no wealth.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
He that loveth mirth shall be a poor man; he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He that loveth good cheer, shall be in want: he that loveth wine, and fat things, shall not be rich.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Hombre necesitado será el que ama el deleite: y el que ama el vino y ungüentos no enriquecerá.
Quem ama o prazer sofrerá necessidade; aquele que ama o vinho e o azeite nunca enriquecerá.
Celui qui aime la joie reste dans l’ indigence;
Wer gern in Freuden lebt, dem wird's mangeln; und wer Wein und Öl liebt, wird nicht reich.
Die blijdschap liefheeft, die zal gebrek lijden; die wijn en olie liefheeft, zal niet rijk worden.
Chi ama godere sarà bisognoso, chi ama il vino e l’olio non arricchirà.
Mąż, który dobrą myśl miłuje, staje się ubogim; a kto miłuje wino i olejki, nie zbogaci się.
Кто любит веселье, обеднеет; а кто любит вино и тук, не разбогатеет.
愛 宴樂的，必致窮乏；好 酒，愛膏油的，必不 富足。
The lover of pleasure will be a poor man: the lover of wine and oil will not get wealth.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 21:17
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse warns against a life centered on sensual pleasure, especially the costly luxuries of wine and oil. Adam Clarke applies it to those who abandon profitable work for gaming or hunting. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible note that oil in ancient Israel was a precious unguent costing about 300 days' wages (Matthew 20:2), so loving such items means habitual extravagance. Matthew Henry describes the epicure as one who sets his heart on pleasure and cannot live without dainties; such a person becomes poor, not merely accidentally but as a consequence of his passion. Gill adds a spiritual dimension: those who indulge carnal pleasure are poor in the things of God. The participle ʾōhēv (loves) is an active participle, denoting an ongoing, settled disposition, not occasional enjoyment but a ruling love. Across traditions, the verse is read not as condemning God's good gifts but as exposing the ruin that follows when those gifts become idols.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The love of pleasure—when it becomes a ruling desire—leads to loss, whether material, spiritual, or both.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The meaning of 'love' (ʾōhēv) | The participle indicates an ongoing, characteristic love, not an occasional enjoyment. | Some apply it strictly to sensual pleasures like hunting and gaming (Clarke); others broaden to any excessive desire for comfort or luxury. |
| Outcome of loving pleasure | The verse warns that such a lifestyle tends toward poverty. | Whether this is a material promise (the spendthrift will go broke) or a principle that has exceptions (many pleasure-lovers remain wealthy, but the proverb addresses the general truth). Some also see spiritual poverty as the primary meaning (Gill). |
| Wine and oil as symbols | They represent the costly accoutrements of feasting and luxury. | Literal wine and oil (agricultural products) vs. representative of all luxurious living. Wesley and Henry treat them as literal though emblematic of 'delicious fare.' Cambridge and Barnes emphasize their high market value. |
| Implication for Christian practice | The verse warns against a lifestyle of excess and indulgence. | Ascetic traditions have used it to justify renouncing pleasure entirely; other traditions (e.g., Reformed) emphasize moderation and thanksgiving, distinguishing enjoyment from love (idolatry). |
Historical & Cultural Context
In ancient Israel, wine and oil were staples of daily life and celebration. Wine gladdened the heart (Psalm 104:15), and oil was used for anointing, cooking, and as a luxury ointment for festal occasions. However, both were expensive commodities. The Cambridge Bible notes that the price of fine oil could equal 300 days' wages, a huge sum reserved for banquets and the wealthy. To 'love wine and oil' meant more than ordinary use; it meant craving the most extravagant fare, attending feasts where costly unguents were poured (Amos 6:6), and spending beyond one's means.
The verse sits in a section of Proverbs contrasting wise and foolish household management. Verse 20 immediately precedes it: 'There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up.' The wise steward resources and saves; the fool consumes them in pursuit of pleasure. This is consistent with the broader wisdom tradition, where diligence, self-control, and fear of the Lord lead to prosperity (Proverbs 10:4; 22:4), while laziness and gluttony lead to poverty (23:21). The warning here is not against wealth itself but against the disordered love that drains it.
Wesley and Gill clarify that 'wine and oil' represent 'delicious fare and luxurious feasting', the lifestyle of an epicure. Keil & Delitzsch connect it to 'festivals of joy' where oil was poured on the head. The verse thus addresses a universal human tendency: the hunger for pleasure that, uncontrolled, consumes resources and leaves only need.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Proverbs 21:17. The Hebrew has been consistently transmitted in the Masoretic Text across manuscripts.
Reception History
Early Christian writers like John Chrysostom and Augustine used this verse to argue against gluttony and luxury, urging simplicity and almsgiving. In the medieval period, monastic rules appealed to it as justification for austere living, wine and oil were rationed or forbidden on fast days. The Reformation saw a shift: Luther and Calvin read the verse as condemning excess, not lawful enjoyment. They emphasized that God's gifts like wine and oil are to be received with thanks, and that the real danger is the heart's disposition. In Puritan and Methodist circles, the verse became a text against gambling, theater, and worldly amusements (Clarke's references to gaming, hunting, and fowling reflect this). Modern evangelical teaching often connects it to financial stewardship and the perils of consumerism, while contemporary prosperity theology has been challenged by this verse's sobering reminder that wealth can slip through the fingers of those who love pleasure more than wisdom.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Root: What Does It Mean to 'Love' Pleasure? The Hebrew participle ʾōhēv indicates a habitual, ruling desire, not an incidental taste. The text probes the heart: is pleasure a servant or a master?
- The Ruin: What Are the Consequences? Literal poverty (Proverbs 21:17) and spiritual poverty (Gill). The prodigal son wasted everything on riotous living (Luke 15:13, 16). The drunkard and glutton become poor (23:21). This is not a promise of automatic destitution for every indulgence, but a general observation: a life oriented toward pleasure tends to empty both purse and soul.
- The Remedy: How to Receive God's Gifts Without Being Consumed by Them? The wise dwelling has treasure and oil stored up (21:20). Moderation, gratitude, and stewardship keep pleasure in its place. Loving God’s gifts without loving them above the Giver is the path of wisdom.
Five-point outline
- A person who ‘loves pleasure’ makes gratification his primary pursuit.
- Wine and oil represent the costly trappings of a luxurious life (Barnes, Cambridge).
- Overindulgence in such pleasures naturally depletes resources, time, money, health.
- The context reinforces the contrast: the wise save, the foolish consume (21:20).
- Spiritually, a love of pleasure dulls hunger for God and produces poverty of soul.
Illustration hooks
- The credit-card spender: Someone who orders the most expensive dish, buys every new gadget, and vacations beyond their means, then wonders why savings never grow.
- The hobby that became an obsession: A person who spends all spare time and money on golf, hunting, or gaming, neglecting family and responsibilities. Clarke specifically names hunting and gaming as examples of pleasure that leads to poverty.
- The prodigal son (Luke 15): He demanded his inheritance and ‘wasted his property with riotous living.’ This verse captures the script behind that story.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this mean Christians can't enjoy nice things? Is all celebration wrong?
- How do I know if I 'love' something too much? Where is the line between healthy appreciation and idolatry?
- What about the prosperity gospel that says God wants believers financially rich, is this verse contradicting that?
Leading a Discussion
This proverb challenges both consumer culture and the fear that God doesn't want us happy. The starting point is honest: we all love some form of pleasure. The text invites us to examine what that love is producing in our lives. The goal is not guilt but wisdom, learning to receive God's good gifts without letting them rule us.
Discussion questions
- Read Proverbs 21:17 and 21:20 together. What is the difference between the wise person's relationship with 'oil' and the foolish person's?
- The Hebrew word for 'loves' (ʾōhēv) is a participle that implies ongoing, characteristic action. How does this shape the warning?
- Barnes and Cambridge note that oil could cost 300 days' wages. Why might the writer choose 'oil' rather than a general word for luxury?
- Matthew Henry says the epicure 'sets his heart upon them' and is 'impatient of everything that crosses him in his pleasures.' In what ways do you see that attitude today?
- Gill adds a spiritual layer: those who love carnal pleasure are poor in spiritual things. How does a love of pleasure affect our hunger for God?
- What safeguards can you put in place to enjoy wine and oil (God's good gifts) without 'loving' them in the way the verse warns against?
- How does the cross-reference to the prodigal son (Luke 15:13) illustrate this proverb? What does it show about the nature of repentance?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 5:10 | lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man’s house. |
| Proverbs 5:11 | You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed, |
| Proverbs 21:20 | There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man swallows it up. |
| Proverbs 23:21 | for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags. |
| Luke 15:13 | Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. |
| Luke 15:16 | He wanted to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. |
| Luke 16:24 | He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue! For I am in anguish in this flame.’ |
| Luke 16:25 | “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same way, bad things. But here he is now comforted and you are in anguish. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that a person who loves pleasure such as hunting and gaming instead of working the land will become poor. He says such a person deserves that poverty because no one will feel sorry for them.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to the staggering cost of fine oil — roughly equal to 300 days’ wages — to make his key point: what begins as a luxury fit for a royal feast quickly becomes the pattern for all wasteful excess when indulged without restraint.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that oil was the most expensive item at a royal feast because it cost three hundred denarii the same amount as a laborer’s yearly wage. This high price shows why using such luxury would represent extreme extravagance.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes shows that people who enjoy expensive pleasures will end up poor. Those who love costly drinks and oils will never become wealthy.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill specifies the kinds of pleasure that bring poverty, including sport, music, dancing, cards, dice, and hunting. He clarifies that wine and oil themselves are fine in moderation but ruinous when loved immoderately. The same principle applies spiritually: those who indulge carnal pleasures become poor in spiritual riches.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that the Hebrew word for pleasure means joyful affection similar to festivity. Those who love such enjoyment end up in want and do not become wealthy.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that this verse makes a strikingly bold claim, especially for its time, by declaring that ethical conduct matters more to God than ritual sacrifice. He sees it as a direct link between Solomon's wisdom, David's penitent spirit, and the later prophets who called for mercy over mere ceremony.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry distinguishes between using pleasures temperately and loving them as an epicure. Those who crave sensual delights above all else, especially costly wine and oil, will drain their resources. The result is not just spiritual harm but practical poverty, as indulgence consumes what could sustain a household.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies wine and oil not as ordinary provisions but as emblems of rich food and lavish celebration. He notes that in that cultural setting, these items were staples of festive feasting, marking occasions of abundance and indulgence.