Proverbs 23:5

“Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? etc.] The Vulgate Latin version is, “do not lift up thine eyes to riches which thou canst not have;” riches no doubt are intended, and which may be said to be “not”; they are not the true riches, have only the shadow and appearance of riches; they are not lasting and durable; in a little time they will not be; they are perishing things, they have no substance or solidity in them; they are not satisfying; they do not make them happy; they are rather nonentities than realities; and therefore the eyes of the mind and the affections of the heart should not be set on them: it may be rendered, “wilt thou cause thine eyes to fly upon that which is…”

“Wilt . . . eyes--As the eyes fly after or seek riches, they are not, that is, either become transitory or unsatisfying; fully expressed by their flying away.”

“Set thine eyes - literally, as in the margin, i. e., “gaze eagerly upon;” and then we get an emphatic parallelism with the words that follow, “they fly away as an eagle toward heaven;” “certainly make themselves wings.” return to 'Top of Page'”

“Set thine eyes - Look upon it with earnestness and desire. Is not - Which has no solid and settled being. Eagle - Swiftly, strongly, and irrecoverably. Proverbs 23:6”

“thou: Psa 119:36, Psa 119:37; Jer 22:17; Jo1 2:16 set thine eyes upon: Heb. cause thine eyes to fly upon, etc. "He expresses it in such a way," says Abp. Tillotson, "as if a rich man sat brooding over an estate till it was fledged, and gotten itself wings to fly away." that which: Gen 42:36; Ecc 1:2, Ecc 12:8; Isa 55:2; Co1 7:29-31 riches: Pro 27:24; Job 1:14-17; Psa 39:6; Ecc 5:13, Ecc 5:14; Mat 6:19; Ti1 6:17; Jam 5:1, Jam 5:2 Proverbs 23:6”