Bible Strands
Proverbs 16:26
A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger drives him onward.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The author of Proverbs addresses a general audience within a wisdom collection, positioning this observation between a warning against self-deception and a description of destructive speech. The text states that a laborer’s hunger actively compels his effort, framing work as a basic biological driver rather than a purely moral duty.
The words — The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (Nepesh) denotes the appetite or inner self, while עָמֵל (Amel) identifies the weary laborer. The verb עָמְלָה (Amelah) literally means "it labors," showing the appetite pressing the worker onward.
The thread — This motif of labor serving the mouth appears in Ecclesiastes 6:7 and Proverbs 14:23, where toil is tied to physical need and tangible profit. Proverbs 9:12 reinforces the practical outcome by noting that wisdom or folly ultimately benefits or harms the individual alone.
Why it lands — The text states that hunger drives work, requiring the reader to acknowledge physical need as the foundation of diligence. It demands that one accept labor as a necessary response to appetite rather than seeking to bypass it through mere talk or self-deception.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.
Cross-references
- Ecclesiastes 6:7 All a man’s labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.
- Proverbs 14:23 There is profit in all labor, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
- Proverbs 9:12 If you are wise, you are wise to your own advantage; but if you scoff, you alone will bear the consequences.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.