Proverbs 23:29Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. A father pulls his son aside after witnessing another family destroyed by wine...
The emotion here: heartbroken watching destruction
The original word
hôy (הוֹי) — an exclamation of grief, like 'alas!' or 'woe!'
Why it matters
Ancient wine was often 15-20% alcohol, stronger than modern wine
Read with care
What most readers miss in Proverbs 23:29
This isn't condemning wine itself — it's describing the inevitable consequences
Common misconceptionPeople think this is anti-alcohol, but it's actually a diagnostic checklist. Solomon is saying 'if you have these symptoms, here's the cause.'
The thread continues
Verses that echo Proverbs 23:29
Bible Genome reading
Proverbs 23:29 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Proverbs 23:29 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include consequences, suffering, addiction. Notable phrases: who has woe; who has sorrow; bloodshot eyes.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Proverbs 23:29 mean to you, today?
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