· Translation: KJV

Proverbs 27:26The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field.

The setting

Ancient Middle Eastern pastoral life. Shepherds use every part of their flock — wool for clothing, goats sold for land purchase. Modern Israel/Palestine.

The emotion here: grateful recognition of how God designs sustainable provision

The original word

machalaq (מַחֲלָק) — portion, share; the idea that everything has its designated purpose and provision

Why it matters

Goat hair was more valuable than sheep wool — it made waterproof tent fabric that Bedouins still use today

Read with care

What most readers miss in Proverbs 27:26

This isn't about being rich — it's about resourcefulness. Every animal serves multiple purposes, nothing is wasted

Common misconceptionModern readers miss the agricultural context and think this promises wealth. It's actually about wise stewardship — using everything God gives you for multiple purposes.

Bible Genome reading

Proverbs 27:26 — Bible Genome reading

EraDivided Kingdom
Primary emotiongrateful
Literary typewisdom

Emotional genome

Comfort power40%
Quotability50%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance20%
Standalone70%
Themes:provisionstewardship

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Proverbs 27

Proverbs 27:26 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the Divided Kingdom period. The dominant emotion in this verse is grateful, with a comfort power of 40% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include provision, stewardship. Notable phrases: lambs are for your clothing.

Your reflection

What does Proverbs 27:26 mean to you, today?

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