Proverbs 21:17

“He that loveth pleasure [shall be] a poor man, etc.] Or “sport”f582 and pastime, music and dancing, cards and dice, hunting and hawking, and other sensual gratifications; a man that indulges himself in these things, and spends his time and his money in such a way, is very likely to be a poor man, and generally is so in the issue; he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich; that is, that loves them immoderately; otherwise in moderation they may be both loved and used; “wine” and “oil” are put for high living, luxurious feasts, costly entertainments; which being so, and continually made, will not suffer a man to be rich. The sense is, that an epicure, one that makes a god of his belly, that…”

“Costly luxuries impoverish.”

“Wine and oil - i. e., The costly adjuncts of a princely banquet. The price of oil or precious unguent was about equal to the 300 days’ wages of a field laborer Matthew 20:2. Indulgence in such a luxury would thus become the type of all extravagance and excess. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Wine and oil - Delicious fare and luxurious feasting. Wine and oil were much used in feasts in those parts. Proverbs 21:18”

“21:17 The expenses of wine and luxury prevent people from amassing their resources—they spend rather than save.”

“loveth: Pro 21:20, Pro 5:10, Pro 5:11, Pro 23:21; Luk 15:13-16, Luk 16:24, Luk 16:25; Ti1 5:6; Ti2 3:4 pleasure: Heb. sport Proverbs 21:18”

“17 He who loveth pleasure becometh a man of want; He who loveth wine and oil doth not become rich. In Arab. samh denotes the joyful action of the "cheerful giver," Co2 9:7; in Heb. the joyful affection; here, like farah, pleasure, delight, festival of joy. Jerome: qui diligit epulas. For feasting is specially thought of, where wine was drunk, and oil and other fragrant essences were poured (cf. Pro 27:9; Amo 6:6) on the head and the clothes. He who loves such festivals, and is commonly found there, becomes a man of want, or suffers want (cf. Jdg 12:2, אישׁ ריב, a man of strife); such an one does not become rich (העשׁיר, like Pro 10:4, = עשׂה עשׁר, Jer 17:11); he does not advance, and thus…”