Proverbs 4:17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. Teaching about how evil becomes a person's sustenance. Jerusalem, Israel.
The emotion here: disgusted by the appetite for cruelty he's witnessed
The original word
resha (רֶשַׁע) — wickedness that becomes someone's daily nourishment
Why it matters
Bread and wine were the staples of every meal in ancient Israel
Read with care
What most readers miss in Proverbs 4:17
This isn't occasional evil — it's evil that has become as routine as eating breakfast
Common misconceptionPeople think this is about criminals. It's about anyone who gets energized by hurting others — gossips, workplace bullies, even parents who crush their kids' spirits.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Proverbs 4:17
Bible Genome reading
Proverbs 4:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Proverbs 4:17 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 angry, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include wisdom, wickedness. Notable phrases: bread of wickedness; wine of violence.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does Proverbs 4:17 mean to you, today?
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