Proverbs 23:5 · Bible study
Proverbs 23:5 Commentary: The Flight of Wealth
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explores the Hebrew wordplay in Proverbs 23:5, where setting eyes on wealth and wealth's own flight reveal the transitory nature of riches.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Wealth is transitory; fixating on it is foolish because it will inevitably vanish.
- Key words: 'cause to fly' (H5774), 'wings' (H3671), 'eagle' (H5404), 'heavens' (H8064).
- Main debate: Whether 'that which is not' means ontological non-existence or simply impermanence and inability to satisfy.
- Theological theme: The fleeting nature of earthly treasures calls for trust in God rather than riches.
- Best use: A warning against greed and a reminder to hold wealth loosely, used in sermons on contentment and stewardship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When you glance at wealth, it disappears, for it makes wings for itself and flies like an eagle to the sky.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky.
KJV King James Version 1769
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? Forrichescertainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
For wealth maketh to itself wings, As an eagle it flieth to the heavens.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
wilt thou set thine eyes upon it, it is gone; for indeed it maketh itself wings and it flieth away as an eagle towards the heavens.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Lift not up thy eyes to riches which thou canst not have: because they shall make themselves wings like those of an eagle, and shall fly towards heaven.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
¿ Has de poner tus ojos en las riquezas, siendo ningunas? porque hacerse|strong="H6213, H6213" han alas, como alas de águila, y volarán al cielo.
Porás teus olhos fixos sobre aquilo que é nada? Porque certamente se fará asas, e voará ao céu como uma águia.
Veux-tu poursuivre du regard ce qui va disparaître?
Laß dein Augen nicht fliegen nach dem, was du nicht haben kannst; denn dasselbe macht sich Flügel wie ein Adler und fliegt gen Himmel.
Zult gij uw ogen laten vliegen op hetgeen niets is? Want het zal zich gewisselijk vleugelen maken gelijk een arend, die naar den hemel vliegt.
Vuoi tu fissar lo sguardo su ciò che scompare? Giacché la ricchezza si fa dell’ali, come l’aquila che vola verso il cielo.
I miałżebyś obrócić oczy twoje na bogactwo, które prędko niszczeje? bo sobie uczyni skrzydła podobne orlim, i uleci do nieba.
Устремишь глаза твои на него, и - его уже нет; потому что оно сделает себе крылья и, как орел, улетит к небу.
你豈要定 睛 在虛無的 錢財上嗎？因 錢財 必 長 翅膀，如鷹 向天 飛去。
Are your eyes lifted up to it? it is gone: for wealth takes to itself wings, like an eagle in flight up to heaven.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 23:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that this verse warns against fixating on wealth because of its fleeting nature. Barnes notes the Hebrew phrase 'set thine eyes' literally means 'gaze eagerly upon,' while the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges emphasizes the wordplay: the verb used for fixing one's eyes ('cause thine eyes to fly') mirrors the action of wealth itself making wings and flying away. Gill points out that riches are called 'that which is not' because they have no lasting substance; they vanish swiftly, likened to an eagle soaring heavenward. Wesley adds that wealth disappears 'swiftly, strongly, and irrecoverably.' The consensus is clear: the verse does not condemn wealth itself but the foolish pursuit of it as if it were permanent. Keil and Delitzsch highlight the verb עשֹה יעשֶׂה (it certainly makes wings) to stress the certainty of departure. Together, these voices counsel that wisdom lies not in grasping riches but in recognizing their inherent instability.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse clearly warns against placing one's hope in wealth because it is fleeting and cannot be relied upon.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretation of 'that which is not' | All commentators agree the phrase refers to the transitory, unsatisfying nature of wealth. | Some (e.g., Gill) emphasize that wealth lacks true substance or reality; others (e.g., the Cambridge Bible) focus on its fleeting quality rather than denying its existence entirely. |
| Subject of the verse | The verse warns against greedy desire for riches. | A few early interpreters (LXX, Syriac) read it as a warning not to pursue the rich for favor; others read it as a general caution against the pursuit of wealth itself. |
| Eagle imagery and its meaning | The eagle symbolizes swiftness and the impossibility of recovery. | Some see the eagle as a bird of prey (swift attack and departure), while others emphasize its flight heavenward (wealth returns to God and is unreachable). |
Historical & Cultural Context
In the wisdom tradition, Proverbs repeatedly warns against the deception of wealth (11:28; 23:4, 5). This verse sits within a series of admonitions about self-control and discernment (vv. 1, 9). The Hebrew text delivers a sharp rhetorical punch: the same root used for 'set your eyes' (התעיף) literally means to cause eyes to fly, as if one's gaze swoops down on wealth like a bird of prey. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the eagle (נֶשֶׁר) was the fastest bird known in ancient Israel, making it an apt image for sudden loss. The phrase 'that which is not' (אַיִן) does not deny wealth's existence but its permanence and ability to satisfy. The Geneva Bible notes that riches 'make themselves wings', an agentive image suggesting wealth itself takes flight. The verse deliberately echoes the futility theme found in Ecclesiastes and other wisdom texts. Culturally, the eagle was a symbol of strength and swiftness, and its flight toward heaven suggested that wealth moves beyond reach and recovery. The warning also connects to the preceding verse (Proverbs 23:4), 'Don’t weary yourself to be rich,' implying that striving for wealth exhausts without securing what it promises.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Proverbs 23:5. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts, and the main interpretive differences arise from translation choices (supplying 'riches' in the second half) rather than from textual issues.
Reception History
This verse has been a staple of Christian teaching on wealth from the early church onward. Monastic traditions used it to justify voluntary poverty and detachment from possessions. In the Reformation, it was frequently cited to warn against the love of money and to encourage trust in God’s providence rather than in material reserves. The image of riches flying away like an eagle appears in later proverbial literature and hymns that warn of the uncertainty of earthly treasure. Modern readers continue to find the verse relevant in a culture of financial anxiety, and it remains a key text for sermons on contentment and stewardship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Illusion of Substance, Wealth is called 'that which is not' (אַיִן). It has no solid, enduring reality. Like a shadow, it appears real but cannot be grasped.
- The Speed of Loss, Riches 'certainly make themselves wings' and fly like an eagle. The suddenness and irreversibility of loss are in view; what took years to gather can vanish in an hour.
- The Call to Restraint, The verse frames our gaze: 'Why do you set your eyes?' The implied answer is not to focus on wealth. The wise person looks elsewhere for security and satisfaction.
Five-point outline
- The Trap of Greed, The warning begins with the danger of eager desire (v. 4).
- The Deceptive Nature of Riches, Wealth appears solid but is 'not', it cannot satisfy or last.
- The Suddenness of Loss, The eagle image conveys speed; wealth departs in a moment.
- The Certainty of Departure, The Hebrew construction (עָשֹׂה יַעֲשֶׂה) emphasizes that flight is guaranteed.
- The Wisdom of Contentment, Cease from anxious striving and pursue what endures.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer who hoards a bumper crop only to see it rot or be lost to pests, the abundance that promised security disappears.
- An investor watches the market drop in minutes, erasing years of careful growth. The internet meme of a graph plummeting mirrors the eagle's flight.
- The feeling of safety when a savings account reaches a certain number, only for a medical emergency or job loss to drain it. The 'wings' are unseen until the wealth is gone.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse mean it is wrong to be wealthy or to work hard for money?
- How can I tell if I am setting my eyes on wealth in an unhealthy way?
- What does it mean for my financial planning if all riches are described as 'flying away'?
Leading a Discussion
This verse uses a vivid word picture to expose the fragile nature of wealth. The same Hebrew root appears twice: first in our gaze (causing eyes to fly) and then in wealth's escape (making wings). The group should explore how this double image deepens the warning. Notice that the verse does not say riches are evil, but that they are not what they seem.
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase 'that which is not' tell you about the Bible’s view of wealth? Is it denying that money exists, or something else?
- Why do you think the writer chose the image of an eagle? What qualities of an eagle fit the description of wealth’s departure?
- In the Hebrew, the phrase 'set thine eyes' literally means 'cause your eyes to fly.' How does this wordplay connect to the second half of the verse about riches flying away?
- Read Proverbs 23:4 alongside this verse. How does the command 'Don’t weary yourself to be rich' lead into the warning of verse 5?
- Think of a time when you or someone you observed placed great hope in wealth. What happened to that hope over time? Was the outcome consistent with this verse?
- How might a disciple of Jesus apply this passage to daily decisions about work, saving, and giving?
- What are some 'wings' that can cause financial security to disappear? Are some losses avoidable, or is all wealth inherently fragile?
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)
| Genesis 42:36 | Jacob, their father, said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children! Joseph is no more, Simeon is no more, and you want to take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.” |
| Job 1:14 | that a messenger came to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them, |
| Job 1:17 | While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.” |
| Psalms 39:6 | “Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn’t know who shall gather. |
| Psalms 119:36 | Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain. |
| Psalms 119:37 | Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Revive me in your ways. |
| Proverbs 27:24 | for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations. |
| Ecclesiastes 1:2 | “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” |
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.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the Hebrew phrase "set thine eyes" literally means to gaze eagerly, creating a deliberate parallel with the image of flying away like an eagle. The point is that riches do not simply slip away; they actively take wings and vanish at the very moment one fixes a greedy stare upon them.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold this view point to Proverbs 23:5 while others emphasize Proverbs 23:4. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture. Your hope lies in Christ and the resurrection.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that earthly wealth is essentially nothing, as it can suddenly vanish without warning. They compare riches to an eagle that grows wings and flies swiftly into heaven, leaving the owner empty-handed.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that riches are called "that which is not" because they are fleeting, insubstantial, and unable to satisfy. He notes the Hebrew verb picture of eagerly darting the eyes at wealth, only to see it sprout wings and vanish as swiftly as an eagle toward heaven.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that chasing wealth causes one’s eyes to fly away from it. This means such things end quickly and leave no true satisfaction. Your trust in God brings lasting peace.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch stress that the proverb warns not about a wealthy person but about the deceptive nature of riches themselves. Wealth gained through labor and craft can suddenly vanish, taking wings like an eagle flying toward heaven. The fleeting quality of riches is the real danger.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees this chapter as a connected series of warnings against sensual self-indulgence, with covetousness as the deep root of evils like greed for power and luxury. He emphasizes that only the fear of Jehovah and a hope that endures beyond death can preserve someone from ruin.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Solomon warns those who fix their hearts on wealth that it makes them work too hard and worry endlessly instead of living a simple life. He says this pursuit turns people into slaves to their money and leads to foolish trouble.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley warns that riches have no stable or lasting existence. He interprets the eagle as a picture of how wealth departs: swiftly, with force, and never to be recovered. Setting one's eyes on it with desire only leads to disappointment.