The Meaning of Proverbs 13:23 Explained

Proverbs 13:23

KJV: Much food is in the tillage of the poor: but there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.

YLT: Abundance of food -- the tillage of the poor, And substance is consumed without judgment.

Darby: Much food is in the tillage of the poor; but there is that is lost for want of judgment.

ASV: Much food is in the tillage of the poor; But there is that is destroyed by reason of injustice.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Much  food  [is in] the tillage  of the poor:  but there is  [that is] destroyed  for want  of judgment. 

What does Proverbs 13:23 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 13

1  a scoffer does not listen to rebuke

What do the individual words in Proverbs 13:23 mean?

Much food [is] [in] the fallow [ground] of the poor and there is waste for lack of justice
רָב־ אֹ֭כֶל נִ֣יר רָאשִׁ֑ים וְיֵ֥שׁ נִ֝סְפֶּ֗ה בְּלֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט

רָב־  Much 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רֹב  
Sense: multitude, abundance, greatness.
אֹ֭כֶל  food  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֹכֶל  
Sense: food.
נִ֣יר  [in]  the  fallow  [ground] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נִיר  
Sense: tillable or untilled or fallow ground.
רָאשִׁ֑ים  of  the  poor 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: רוּשׁ  
Sense: to be poor, be in want, lack.
וְיֵ֥שׁ  and  there  is 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
נִ֝סְפֶּ֗ה  waste 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָפָה  
Sense: to sweep or snatch away, catch up, destroy, consume.
בְּלֹ֣א  for  lack 
Parse: Preposition-b, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
מִשְׁפָּֽט  of  justice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.