Paragraph 23:4–5 Saying 7

23:4

This verse has two similar commands. Both advise the young man not to work too hard to get rich. The first is stated negatively. The second is stated positively.

4a Do not wear yourself out to get rich;

4b be wise enough to restrain yourself.

23:4a

Do not wear yourself out to get rich: This command means that a person should not work until he is exhausted in order to become wealthy. It is a command to not spend too much time or energy to obtain something that has no lasting value. It is not a command to avoid hard work, nor does it imply that being wealthy is wrong. Another way to translate this command is:

Do not work so hard to get money that you become exhausted

23:4b

be wise enough to restrain yourself: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “from your understanding cease.” There are at least two ways to interpret this command:

(1) The command means “because of your understanding, stop working too hard in order to get rich.” This probably implies that the young man should use his understanding and stop trying to get rich. For example:

be discerning enough to desist (English Standard Version)

(2) The command means “stop thinking about trying to get rich.” This probably implies that the young man should stop using his mind for the purpose of trying to get rich. For example:

stop applying your mind to this (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions and commentaries. This interpretation fits the normal use of the word “understanding” in Proverbs. Some other ways to express this meaning are:

Be sensible, and desist. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Be smart enough to stop. (God’s Word)

be wise enough: In Hebrew, this word refers to the ability to comprehend ideas, to draw conclusions, and to understand the relationship between things. In this context, a number of versions translate it with a form of the word “wisdom.” For example:

have the wisdom… (New International Version)

to restrain yourself: In Hebrew this verb is literally “cease” or “desist.” It means to stop doing something entirely. But that is clearly not the meaning here. In this context, a literal translation would cause the misunderstanding that the young man should stop working entirely.

The Berean Standard Bible probably translated the Hebrew verb as restrain yourself in order to avoid this misunderstanding. Another version that has translated this verb in a similar way is the NET Bible. It has:

be wise enough to restrain yourself

General Comment on 23:4a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder and/or combine the commands in these two lines. For example:

Be wise enough not to wear yourself out trying to get rich. (Good News Translation)

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