Proverbs 23:8
The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.
Original Language Analysis
וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ
and lose
H7843
וְ֝שִׁחַ֗תָּ
and lose
Strong's:
H7843
Word #:
4 of 6
to decay, i.e., (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively)
Historical Context
In honor-shame cultures, discovering that a host secretly resented you would retrospectively poison the entire experience, making even the food seem disgusting. Hospitality required genuine warmth, not mere duty.
Questions for Reflection
- Have you experienced the sickening realization that someone's hospitality was grudging, not genuine?
- Where are you investing relational energy in contexts that don't value or reciprocate it?
- How can you build relationships characterized by mutual love and sincerity?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The morsel you've eaten from a stingy host 'shalt thou vomit up,' and lose 'thy sweet words.' Eating with a grudging host becomes nauseating when you realize his true heart. Your pleasant conversation ('sweet words') is wasted on someone who resents your presence. This teaches that fellowship requires mutual goodwill. Reformed theology values genuine Christian community over superficial social interactions. We should invest our fellowship and words in relationships characterized by sincere love, not in contexts where we're resented.