Proverbs 27:20Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man's eyes are never satisfied.
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. A wisdom teacher reflects on the grave and the realm of the dead, observing how death consumes endlessly while humans display the same insatiable appetite for more in Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: somber realization about human nature's darkness
The original word
Sheol (שְׁאוֹל) — the grave, place of the dead that consumes without end
Why it matters
Abaddon literally means 'destruction' and appears only 6 times in the Old Testament
Read with care
What most readers miss in Proverbs 27:20
This links human greed to death itself — our endless wanting is essentially death-like
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about materialism, but the Hebrew connects human desire to the grave — our wanting is literally death working in us, consuming our contentment.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Proverbs 27:20
Bible Genome reading
Proverbs 27:20 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Proverbs 27:20 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 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include contentment, desire. Notable phrases: never satisfied; man's eyes are never satisfied.
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 27:20 mean to you, today?
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