Proverbs 23:6

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, Neither desire thou his dainties:

Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אַל־תִּלְחַ֗ם אֶת־לֶ֭חֶם רַ֣ע עָ֑יִן וְאַל־*תתאו **תִּ֝תְאָ֗יו לְמַטְעַמֹּתָֽיו׃

Transliteration

Not tilḥam with leḥem raʿ ʿāyin and not titʾāyw to maṭʿammōṯāyw.

Grammar Details

*tilḥam*: qal imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular - eat/dine
*leḥem*: noun, masculine singular - bread/food
*raʿ ʿāyin*: adjective + noun construct - evil of eye/one with evil eye
*titʾāyw*: hithpael imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular - desire/crave
*maṭʿammōṯāyw*: noun, feminine plural + 3rd person masculine singular suffix - his delicacies/dainties

Word Meanings

*tilḥam*: eat/dine/partake of
*leḥem raʿ ʿāyin*: bread of one with evil eye/food of a stingy person/meal of a begrudging host
*titʾāyw*: desire/crave/long for
*maṭʿammōṯāyw*: his delicacies/tasty foods/delights

ℹ️

About this Translation

American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

Formal EquivalenceSource: American Standard VersionBest for: Word studies and original-language research

🎯 Translation Approach

A highly literal, word-for-word translation (ASV, 1901) augmented with Strong's numbering to connect English words to underlying Hebrew and Greek terms for study.

Word-for-word

5/5

Readability

2/5

💎 Distinctive Features

Integrated Strong's numbering: Links English terms to underlying Hebrew and Greek words for deeper lexical study.
Formal equivalence: Prioritizes close alignment with source-language forms and structures.
Divine name rendering: Frequently renders the Tetragrammaton as Jehovah in the Old Testament, following ASV tradition.
Study-focused formatting: Optimized for reference and research rather than casual reading.

✅ Strengths

High fidelity to original languages
Includes Strong's numbers for precise word study
Consistent lexical choices aid exegesis
Stable, longstanding scholarly text

⚠️ Considerations

Archaic language reduces readability
Older textual basis compared to some modern translations
Strong's numbers are a concordance index, not full lexical definitions

👥 Who is this for?

Ideal for

Pastors and teachers
Seminary students
Serious Bible students
Readers conducting word studies
Those referencing Hebrew/Greek tools

Consider alternatives for

Casual readers
Children and early teens
ESL learners seeking simple English
Readers preferring contemporary language

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Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

Ps 141:4 : 4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, To practise deeds of wickedness With men that work iniquity: And let me not eat of their dainties.
Deut 15:9 : 9 Beware that there be not a base thought in thy heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou give him nought; and he cry unto Jehovah against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
Prov 23:3 : 3 Be not desirous of his dainties; Seeing they are deceitful food.
Dan 1:8-9 : 8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king's dainties, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God made Daniel to find kindness and compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs. 10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your food and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths that are of your own age? so would ye endanger my head with the king.
Prov 22:9 : 9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; For he giveth of his bread to the poor.
Deut 28:56 : 56 The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son, and toward her daughter,
Matt 20:15 : 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? or is thine eye evil, because I am good?
Mark 7:22 : 22 covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness:
Prov 28:22 : 22 he that hath an evil eye hasteth after riches, And knoweth not that want shall come upon him.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

Prov 23:1-5
5 verses
83%
1When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, Consider diligently him that is before thee;
2And put a knife to thy throat, If thou be a man given to appetite.
3Be not desirous of his dainties; Seeing they are deceitful food.
4Weary not thyself to be rich; Cease from thine own wisdom.
5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For [riches] certainly make themselves wings, Like an eagle that flieth toward heaven.
Prov 28:21-22
2 verses
78%
21To have respect of persons is not good; Neither that a man should transgress for a piece of bread.
22he that hath an evil eye hasteth after riches, And knoweth not that want shall come upon him.
Prov 23:7-8
2 verses
78%
7For as he thinketh within himself, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; But his heart is not with thee.
8The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, And lose thy sweet words.
Prov 22:9
76%
9He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; For he giveth of his bread to the poor.
Prov 24:1
75%
1Be not thou envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them:
Ps 141:4
74%
4Incline not my heart to any evil thing, To practise deeds of wickedness With men that work iniquity: And let me not eat of their dainties.
Deut 12:25
73%
25Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah.
Prov 6:30
72%
30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal To satisfy himself when he is hungry:
Prov 6:25
72%
25Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
Deut 15:9
72%
9Beware that there be not a base thought in thy heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou give him nought; and he cry unto Jehovah against thee, and it be sin unto thee.
Prov 20:13
72%
13Love not sleep, let thou come to poverty; Open thine eyes, [and] thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
Lev 25:37
72%
37Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor give him thy victuals for increase.
Eccl 6:2
72%
2a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
Matt 6:23
71%
23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!
Prov 24:18-19
2 verses
71%
18Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, And he turn away his wrath from him.
19Fret not thyself because of evil-doers; Neither be thou envious at the wicked:
Prov 21:10
71%
10The soul of the wicked desireth evil: His neighbor findeth no favor in his eyes.
Prov 3:31
71%
31Envy thou not the man of violence, And choose none of his ways.
Prov 30:8
71%
8Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me:
Prov 21:26
71%
26There is that coveteth greedily all the day long; But the righteous giveth and withholdeth not.
Prov 28:27
70%
27He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack; But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
Ezek 18:15
70%
15that hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbor's wife,
Lev 22:25
70%
25Neither from the hand of a foreigner shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, there is a blemish in them: they shall not be accepted for you.
Prov 25:17
70%
17Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbor's house, Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee.
Prov 4:17
70%
17For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.
Prov 13:25
70%
25The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul; But the belly of the wicked shall want.
Hab 2:9
70%
9Woe to him that getteth an evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the hand of evil!
Job 33:20
70%
20So that his life abhorreth bread, And his soul dainty food.
Deut 8:12
70%
12lest, when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein;
Prov 23:20
70%
20Be not among winebibbers, Among gluttonous eaters of flesh:
Job 22:7
70%
7Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Ezek 24:22
70%
22And ye shall do as I have done: ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.
Prov 20:17
70%
17Bread of falsehood is sweet to a man; But afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.
Exod 23:8
69%
8And thou shalt take no bribe: for a bribe blindeth them that have sight, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
Ps 73:7
69%
7Their eyes stand out with fatness: They have more than heart could wish.
Deut 28:54
69%
54The man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children whom he hath remaining;
Deut 14:3
69%
3Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.
Rom 14:16
69%
16Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
Matt 6:19
69%
19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal:
Exod 23:3
69%
3neither shalt thou favor a poor man in his cause.
Isa 55:2
69%
2Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.