Proverbs 27:20
Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Original Language Analysis
שְׁא֣וֹל
Hell
H7585
שְׁא֣וֹל
Hell
Strong's:
H7585
Word #:
1 of 8
hades or the world of the dead (as if a subterranean retreat), including its accessories and inmates
לֹ֣א
are never
H3808
לֹ֣א
are never
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
3 of 8
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
תִשְׂבַּֽעְנָה׃
are never satisfied
H7646
תִשְׂבַּֽעְנָה׃
are never satisfied
Strong's:
H7646
Word #:
4 of 8
to sate, i.e., fill to satisfaction (literally or figuratively)
וְעֵינֵ֥י
so the eyes
H5869
וְעֵינֵ֥י
so the eyes
Strong's:
H5869
Word #:
5 of 8
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
הָ֝אָדָ֗ם
of man
H120
הָ֝אָדָ֗ם
of man
Strong's:
H120
Word #:
6 of 8
ruddy i.e., a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
Cross References
Ecclesiastes 1:8All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.1 John 2:16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.Ecclesiastes 6:7All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.Habakkuk 2:5Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:Ecclesiastes 4:8There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.Job 26:6Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering.Proverbs 15:11Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?Proverbs 23:5Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.Jeremiah 22:17But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.
Historical Context
Ancient Israelites viewed Sheol as an ever-hungry mouth (Isaiah 5:14, Habakkuk 2:5), swallowing the dead without distinction between righteous and wicked. This proverb reflects the wisdom tradition's meditation on human mortality and desire, themes fully developed in Ecclesiastes.
Questions for Reflection
- What desires in your life function like Sheol—never satisfied no matter how much you feed them?
- How does consumerism exploit the principle that 'the eyes of man are never satisfied'?
- Where have you found genuine satisfaction that transcends the endless cycle of desire?
Analysis & Commentary
Hell and destruction are never full (שְׁאוֹל וַאֲבַדּוֹ לֹא תִשְׂבַּעְנָה, sheol va'abaddo lo tisba'enah)—שְׁאוֹל (Sheol) denotes the realm of the dead, the grave that swallows all humanity; אֲבַדּוֹן (Abaddon, 'destruction, place of perishing') appears six times in Scripture, personified in Revelation 9:11 as the angel of the abyss. The verb שָׂבַע (sava, 'to be satisfied, filled') is negated absolutely.
So the eyes of man are never satisfied (וְעֵינֵי הָאָדָם לֹא תִשְׂבַּעְנָה, ve'einei ha'adam lo tisba'enah)—human desire mirrors death's insatiability. John warns against 'the lust of the eyes' (1 John 2:16); Ecclesiastes declares all earthly pursuits vanity. Only in God do our souls find rest (Psalm 63:5).