In this saying the first line makes a general statement and the second explains it with a more concrete expression.

“A worker’s appetite works for him”: To avoid exclusive language, New Revised Standard Version has revised Revised Standard Version to say “The appetite of workers works for them.” “A worker” refers to a person who is engaged in labor to earn a living. “Appetite” is literally “soul” (nefesh in Hebrew). For the same use of the word see 6.30. “Appetite” refers here to the desire to eat, and the idea expressed is that hunger or the need to eat forces a person to work. This line may be rendered, for example, “If you are hungry, you will work” or “A hungry person has to work in order to eat.”

“His mouth urges him on”: “Mouth” is here parallel to “appetite” in the first line. It is the worker’s hunger expressed in this line as “his mouth” that “urges”, that is, drives or presses him to work so he can feed himself.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .