Proverbs 23:4Don't weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint.
The setting
Jerusalem, 950 BC. Solomon's palace overlooks a kingdom where merchants exhaust themselves pursuing wealth while missing life's real treasures.
The emotion here: weary from watching people destroy themselves chasing what he already had
The original word
yaga (יָגַע) — to labor to exhaustion, to wear oneself out physically and emotionally
Why it matters
Solomon became the wealthiest king in history yet wrote extensively about wealth's emptiness
Read with care
What most readers miss in Proverbs 23:4
The 'restraint' is literally 'understanding' - wisdom knows when enough is enough
Common misconceptionPeople think this forbids ambition, but Solomon had massive wealth. He's warning against the exhausting pursuit that never ends - there's a difference between working hard and wearing yourself out.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Proverbs 23:4
Bible Genome reading
Proverbs 23:4 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Proverbs 23:4 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the United Kingdom period. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include contentment, wisdom. Notable phrases: don't weary yourself to be rich; show restraint. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Proverbs 23:4 mean to you, today?
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