The Meaning of Proverbs 21:17 Explained

Proverbs 21:17

KJV: He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

YLT: Whoso is loving mirth is a poor man, Whoso is loving wine and oil maketh no wealth.

Darby: He that loveth mirth shall be a poor man; he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

ASV: He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: He that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He that loveth  pleasure  [shall be] a poor  man:  he that loveth  wine  and oil  shall not be rich. 

What does Proverbs 21:17 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 21

1  The king's heart in the hand of the Lord

What do the individual words in Proverbs 21:17 mean?

[will be] a man poor He who loves pleasure wine and oil not will be rich
אִ֣ישׁ מַ֭חְסוֹר אֹהֵ֣ב שִׂמְחָ֑ה יַֽיִן־ וָ֝שֶׁ֗מֶן לֹ֣א יַעֲשִֽׁיר

אִ֣ישׁ  [will  be]  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
מַ֭חְסוֹר  poor 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַחְסׄור  
Sense: need, poverty, thing needed.
אֹהֵ֣ב  He  who  loves 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
שִׂמְחָ֑ה  pleasure 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׂמְחָה  
Sense: joy, mirth, gladness.
יַֽיִן־  wine 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַיִן  
Sense: wine.
וָ֝שֶׁ֗מֶן  and  oil 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.
יַעֲשִֽׁיר  will  be  rich 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשַׁר  
Sense: to be or become rich or wealthy, enrich, pretend to be rich.