Proverbs 23:31

Study note

Setting — The wise instructor addresses a young learner in a sequential warning against excess, immediately following a caution about lingering over mixed drinks. The moment captures a critical decision point before temptation transforms into harm.

The words — תֵּ֥רֶא (Te.re') = you see and יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם (yit.'A.Dam) = it will be red form the core command to avoid visual fixation on something that appears attractive. The literal phrasing blocks the eye from tracking the liquid’s color and smooth descent.

The thread — This warning against visual temptation runs through 1 John 2:16, which names the desires of the eyes as worldly rather than divine, and Psalm 119:37, which commands turning eyes away from worthless things. The narrative pattern repeats in 2 Samuel 11:2, where David’s unguarded gaze from a roof initiates a chain of sin.

Why it lands — The text demands immediate restraint of visual fixation on appealing indulgences before the destructive aftermath described in verse 32 takes effect. It requires the reader to break the eye’s attention at the first sign of allure rather than waiting for consequences to appear.

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.