Proverbs 23:6

[ 1 minutes to read ]

Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:
– Proverbs 23:6

[V]erses 6-8 teach wariness to begrudging hospitality. The man with an evil eye is a stingy begrudging host. The figure of the evil eye consistently describes a person greedy of gain, so they are not generous, are grasping, and are also described as in a hurry to be rich (Proverbs 28:22). The evil eye is contrasted with the bountiful eye of the generous giver and sharer (Proverbs 22:9). This figure is used consistently elsewhere, as in the parable with the greedy laborers (Matthew 20:15). They begrudged the generosity of the master (Matthew 20:10-15). Jesus also used the figure in the Sermon on the Mount, warning of the internal darkness of the soul of the man with an evil eye (Matthew 6:22-23). Wisdom here teaches to discern the evil eye and refuse what such a man offers.

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