Bible Strands
Proverbs 23:1
When you sit down to dine with a ruler, consider carefully what is set before you,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The text addresses a reader invited to dine with a ruler, giving instruction at the exact moment of sitting down to eat. The sage frames the advice as immediate counsel for a high-stakes social encounter.
The words — The Hebrew verbs תָּ֝בִ֗ין (ta.Vin) and בִּ֥ין (bin) both translate literally to "you will consider" or "discern," emphasizing deliberate mental evaluation. These terms frame the required action as conscious assessment rather than passive observation.
The thread — The warning against hidden dangers at shared meals runs in Genesis 43:32, where separate seating prevents cultural offense, and Jude 1:12, which identifies deceptive participants in love feasts. Both references extend the caution to include social and spiritual risks at communal tables.
Why it lands — The text commands the reader to actively evaluate the host's intentions and the potential consequences of the meal before eating. It requires practical caution and self-restraint rather than impulsive indulgence.
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
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
Cross-references
- Genesis 43:32 They separately served Joseph, his brothers, and the Egyptians. They ate separately because the Egyptians would not eat with the Hebrews, since that was detestable to them.
- Jude 1:12 These men are hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after being uprooted.