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Tuesday, July 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Proverbs 30:22

A slave who becomes king, a fool who eats too much,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Gluttony;   Riddle;   Rulers;   Servant;   Wife;   Women;   Thompson Chain Reference - Exaltation;   Exaltation-Abasement;   Promotion;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Servants;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Proverb, the Book of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Servants;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Agur;   Jakeh;   Massa;   Proverb;   Proverbs, Book of;   Slave, Slavery;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
a servant when he becomes king,a fool when he is stuffed with food,
Hebrew Names Version
For a servant when he is king; A fool when he is filled with food;
King James Version
For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
English Standard Version
a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food;
New American Standard Bible
Under a slave when he becomes king, And a fool when he is satisfied with food,
New Century Version
a servant who becomes a king, a foolish person who has plenty to eat,
Amplified Bible
Under a servant when he reigns, Under a [spiritually blind] fool when he is filled with food,
World English Bible
For a servant when he is king; A fool when he is filled with food;
Geneva Bible (1587)
For a seruant when he reigneth, & a foole when he is filled with meate,
Legacy Standard Bible
Under a slave when he becomes king,And a wicked fool when he is satisfied with food,
Berean Standard Bible
a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,
Complete Jewish Bible
a slave who becomes king, a boor gorged with food,
Darby Translation
Under a servant when he reigneth, and a churl when he is filled with meat;
Easy-to-Read Version
a slave who becomes a king, fools who have everything they need,
George Lamsa Translation
Under a servant when he reigns: and under a fool when he is filled with bread;
Good News Translation
a slave who becomes a king, a fool who has all he wants to eat,
Lexham English Bible
under a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is satisfied with food;
Literal Translation
Under a servant when he reigns, and a fool when he is filled with food,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thorow a seruaut yt beareth rule, thorow a foole yt hath greate riches,
American Standard Version
For a servant when he is king; And a fool when he is filled with food;
Bible in Basic English
A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For a servant when he reigneth; and a churl when he is filled with food;
King James Version (1611)
For a seruant when he reigneth, and a foole when hee is filled with meate:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A seruaunt that beareth rule, a foole that is full fedde,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
An envious man makes haste to be rich, and knows not that the merciful man will have the mastery over him.
English Revised Version
For a servant when he is king; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
Update Bible Version
For a slave when he is king; And a fool when he is filled with food;
Webster's Bible Translation
For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with food.
New English Translation
under a servant who becomes king, under a fool who is stuffed with food,
New King James Version
For a servant when he reigns, A fool when he is filled with food,
New Living Translation
a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers,
New Life Bible
Under a servant when he becomes king, under a fool when he is filled with food,
New Revised Standard
a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when glutted with food;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Under a servant, when he reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited with food;
Douay-Rheims Bible
By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when be is filled with meat:
Revised Standard Version
a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food;
Young's Literal Translation
For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Under a slave when he becomes king, And a fool when he is satisfied with food,

Contextual Overview

18 There are three or four things I cannot understand: 19 How eagles fly so high or snakes crawl on rocks, how ships sail the ocean or people fall in love. 20 An unfaithful wife says, "Sleeping with another man is as natural as eating." 21 There are three or four things that make the earth tremble and are unbearable: 22 A slave who becomes king, a fool who eats too much, 23 a hateful woman who finds a husband, and a slave who takes the place of the woman who owns her.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a servant: Proverbs 19:10, Proverbs 28:3, Ecclesiastes 10:7, Isaiah 3:4, Isaiah 3:5

a fool: 1 Samuel 25:3, 1 Samuel 25:10, 1 Samuel 25:11, 1 Samuel 25:25, 1 Samuel 25:36-38, 1 Samuel 30:16

Reciprocal: Nehemiah 2:10 - the servant Proverbs 26:8 - so Proverbs 29:19 - servant Lamentations 5:8 - Servants

Cross-References

Genesis 8:1
God did not forget about Noah and the animals with him in the boat. So God made a wind blow, and the water started going down.
Genesis 25:21
Rebekah still had no children. So Isaac asked the Lord to let her have a child, and the Lord answered his prayer.
Genesis 30:1
Rachel was very jealous of Leah for having children, and she said to Jacob, "I'll die if you don't give me some children!"
Genesis 30:2
But Jacob became upset with Rachel and answered, "Don't blame me! I'm not God."
Genesis 30:19
When Leah had another son,
Genesis 30:20
she exclaimed, "God has given me a wonderful gift, and my husband will praise me for giving him six sons." So she named the boy Zebulun.
Psalms 105:42
God never forgot his sacred promise to his servant Abraham.
Psalms 113:9
When a wife has no children, he blesses her with some, and she is happy. Shout praises to the Lord !
Psalms 127:3
Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For a servant, when he reigneth,.... Being unfit for it through his education, not having been trained up in and learned the arts of government and maxims of it; and through the disposition of his mind, which is mean, abject, and servile; and as he has been used himself when a servant, so he will use others c and through his circumstances, being poor, he will take oppressive methods to become rich; and being raised from a low estate, he is the more imperious, proud, and haughty d; all which and more make his reign intolerable; see Proverbs 19:10. This may be applied to antichrist, the "servus servorum", who in a haughty, tyrannical, and insolent manner, exalts himself above all that is called God: and reigns over the kings of the earth, at least has done so, and that in such a manner as was unbearable; deposing kings at pleasure, disposing of their kingdoms, and trampling upon their necks, and making their subjects his vassals; see 2 Thessalonians 2:4;

and a fool, when he is filled with meat; as Nabal at his feast, when he behaved so intolerably in his cups towards David and his messengers, that he determined on his destruction, had not Abigail interposed,

1 Samuel 25:10; and there are many such fools, who having their bellies full of food, and their heads full of liquor, are very overbearing in company, and give their tongues such a loose as is very disturbing: or this may intend such fools, or wicked men, who are full of wealth and riches, and being purse proud, are exceeding haughty and insolent; set their mouths against the heaven, and blaspheme God that is in it; and their tongues walk through the earth, and spare none, but lash all in an insufferable manner. These disquiet families, neighbourhoods, communities, and commonwealths; see Psalms 73:7.

c "Nec bellua tetrior ulla est, quam servi rabies in libera colla furentis", Claudian. in Eutrop. l. 1. v. 183, 184. d "Asperius nihil est humili, cum surgit in altum", Claudian. ib. v. 181.


 
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