The Meaning of Proverbs 23:21 Explained

Proverbs 23:21

KJV: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

YLT: For the quaffer and glutton become poor, And drowsiness clotheth with rags.

Darby: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; and drowsiness clotheth with rags.

ASV: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty; And drowsiness will clothe a man with rags.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For the drunkard  and the glutton  shall come to poverty:  and drowsiness  shall clothe  [a man] with rags. 

What does Proverbs 23:21 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 23

1  Consider carefully what is before you

What do the individual words in Proverbs 23:21 mean?

For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty and with rags will clothe [a man] drowsiness
כִּי־ סֹבֵ֣א וְ֭זוֹלֵל יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ נוּמָֽה

סֹבֵ֣א  the  drunkard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָבָא 
Sense: to drink heavily or largely, imbibe.
וְ֭זוֹלֵל  and  the  glutton 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: זָלַל 
Sense: to be worthless, be vile, be insignificant, be light.
יִוָּרֵ֑שׁ  will  come  to  poverty 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
וּ֝קְרָעִ֗ים  and  with  rags 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: קְרָעִים  
Sense: rag, torn pieces of garment or fabric.
תַּלְבִּ֥ישׁ  will  clothe  [a  man] 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: לָבַשׁ  
Sense: to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed.
נוּמָֽה  drowsiness 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: נוּמָה  
Sense: drowsiness, somnolence, indolence (fig.