Proverbs 23:33 kjv
Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.
Proverbs 23:33 nkjv
Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things.
Proverbs 23:33 niv
Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things.
Proverbs 23:33 esv
Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things.
Proverbs 23:33 nlt
You will see hallucinations,
and you will say crazy things.
Proverbs 23 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 23:29-30 | Who has woe... Those who tarry long at the wine... | Immediate context, identifying the cause of these woes. |
| Prov 20:1 | Wine is a mocker, Strong drink is a brawler... | Warning against alcohol's deceptive and disruptive nature. |
| Prov 21:17 | He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich. | Linking love of pleasure, including wine, to poverty. |
| Isa 5:11-12 | Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may pursue strong drink... | Pronouncing woe on those who pursue drunkenness. |
| Isa 5:22 | Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, And fierce men to mix strong drink; | Critique of those proud in their capacity for drinking. |
| Eph 5:18 | And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit. | New Testament injunction against drunkenness, contrasting it with spiritual fullness. |
| Rom 13:13 | Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness... | Admonition for Christian conduct, avoiding drunkenness. |
| Gal 5:19-21 | Now the works of the flesh are evident... drunkenness, revelries, and the like... | Drunkenness listed as a work of the flesh, precluding inheriting God's kingdom. |
| 1 Cor 6:9-10 | Nor fornicators... nor drunkards... will inherit the kingdom of God. | Stating that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God. |
| 1 Pet 4:3 | For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in debauchery, lusts, drunkenness... | Christians called to no longer live in pagan revelry, including drunkenness. |
| Luke 21:34 | But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life... | Jesus warns disciples against the spiritual dulling effects of excess. |
| Hab 2:15-16 | "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, Pressing him with your bottle, Even to make him drunk... Shameful spewing will be on your glory." | Pronouncing judgment on those who cause others to stumble into drunkenness. |
| Isa 28:7-8 | But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink... For all tables are full of vomit with filth. | Describing how wine distorts judgment even among religious leaders, leading to moral decay. |
| Hosea 4:11 | Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart. | Wine listed as something that takes away the heart or enslaves judgment. |
| Prov 4:23 | Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. | The importance of guarding the "mind" (heart) as the wellspring of life. |
| Rom 1:21-22 | ...though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God... their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools. | Spiritual consequences of distorted thinking, relevant to "perverse things." |
| Deut 28:28 | The Lord will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind. | Divine judgment including mental and perceptual impairment, echoing the effects of drunkenness. |
| Matt 6:22-23 | The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. | Illustrates how perception ("the eye") determines one's overall state of being, applicable to "seeing strange things." |
| Prov 14:12 | There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the ways of death. | Relates to the mind's ability to conceive "perverse things" as seemingly rational or desirable when impaired. |
| Titus 1:15-16 | To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him... | Discusses the defilement of the mind and conscience, connecting inner corruption to actions and words. |
| 2 Pet 2:13-14 | They count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime... having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin... | Describes those with eyes consumed by immoral desires, linking to "seeing strange things" (immorally). |
Proverbs 23 verses
Proverbs 23 33 Meaning
Proverbs 23:33 describes the profound intellectual and moral decay resulting from excessive wine consumption. The verse highlights two primary consequences: impaired perception, where reality is distorted or illicit sights are sought ("Your eyes will see strange things"), and corrupted thought processes leading to irrational or immoral speech and decisions ("and your mind utter perverse things"). It directly links the physical act of drunkenness to severe cognitive and ethical degradation.
Proverbs 23 33 Context
Proverbs 23:33 is part of a stark and vivid warning against drunkenness found in Proverbs 23:29-35. The preceding verses lament the "woes" and "sorrows" of those who linger over wine (Prov 23:29-30) and caution against its initially alluring but ultimately destructive nature, comparing its final bite to a serpent (Prov 23:31-32). This immediate literary context frames verse 33 as a direct consequence of succumbing to alcohol's deceptive invitation. Historically, wine was a staple drink in the ancient Near East, consumed at meals, celebrations, and religious rituals. While moderation was understood, the passage strongly polemicizes against the prevalent societal dangers of excess and addiction, which could lead to physical ruin, financial hardship, moral depravity, and a complete breakdown of judgment. The proverbs stand against cultural practices that might overlook or minimize the severe ethical and intellectual consequences of overindulgence, positioning sobriety and clear-mindedness as core virtues of wisdom.
Proverbs 23 33 Word analysis
- Your eyes (עֵינֶיךָ - ʿêneyḵā) will see (יִטּוּ - yiṭṭū):
- יִטּוּ (yiṭṭū): This verb can mean "to go astray," "to wander," or "to turn aside." In the context of eyes, it implies not merely passive seeing but rather a turning, wandering, or roving gaze. This suggests a lack of control over where one's eyes are directed, potentially leading them towards forbidden or inappropriate sights, or the experience of perceiving distorted realities, even hallucinations. It denotes a fundamental error in perception itself.
- עֵינֶיךָ (ʿêneyḵā): The physical organs of sight, but also metaphorically representing discernment and perception of reality. Drunkenness corrupts this faculty.
- strange things (זָרוֹת - zārōṯ):
- זָרוֹת (zārōṯ): From the root zur (to be estranged, alien, strange, foreign). It refers to that which is "alien," "aberrant," "forbidden," or "unnatural." This can imply visions that are hallucinatory, sights that are morally illicit (e.g., wanton looking), or reality perceived in a deeply distorted, "strange" way that deviates from truth or normalcy. It encompasses both sensory deception and moral corruption.
- and your mind (וְלִבְּךָ - wəlivkā):
- וְלִבְּךָ (wəlivkā): The Hebrew lev (heart) is more encompassing than the English "mind." It refers to the seat of intellect, will, emotion, moral choice, and conscience—the core of one's being and thinking. Drunkenness corrupts the very center of thought and moral deliberation.
- utter (יְדַבֵּר - yəḏabēr):
- יְדַבֵּר (yəḏabēr): The common verb "to speak" or "to talk." Here, in relation to the lev (heart/mind), it signifies not only verbal expression but also the internal generation of thoughts, plans, or intentions. It highlights a loss of self-censorship, leading to uncontrolled, often incoherent or morally compromised speech, or a mind filled with such thoughts.
- perverse things (תַּהְפֻּכוֹת - tahp̄uḵōṯ):
- תַּהְפֻּכוֹת (tahp̄uḵōṯ): From the root hāpak (to overturn, overthrow, transform, twist). It signifies things that are "twisted," "perverted," "crooked," "confused," or "turned upside down." It speaks of thoughts and plans that are morally depraved, illogical, irrational, or fundamentally opposed to wisdom and righteousness. It describes a mind whose reasoning processes are corrupted and whose moral compass is inverted.
- Words-Group Analysis:
- "Your eyes will see strange things": This phrase encapsulates the corruption of external perception and sensory input. It means one's visual experience becomes unreliable, seeing either hallucinatory phenomena, immoral sights without proper judgment, or common things in a warped and disoriented manner. The normal boundaries of visual discretion are shattered.
- "and your mind utter perverse things": This phrase highlights the internal degradation of thought and moral reasoning. The mind, normally a source of wise counsel, becomes a source of "twisted" or "confused" thoughts. This manifests as incoherent speech, irrational arguments, morally corrupted intentions, and an inability to distinguish right from wrong, all stemming from a depraved heart.
Proverbs 23 33 Bonus section
The imagery in Proverbs 23:33-34 highlights a progressive decline. First, the perception (eyes) and thought (mind) are corrupted, then comes complete loss of control and awareness of danger (Prov 23:34 - "like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, or like one who lies on the top of a mast"). This progression shows that the spiritual and mental dullness brought on by wine makes one blind to clear and present dangers. The "strange things" seen and "perverse things" uttered are symptoms of a heart that is no longer guiding life towards wisdom but towards folly, embodying a stark contrast to walking in the light of God's truth. This passage underscores that self-control, particularly over appetite, is a fundamental aspect of walking in wisdom and godliness.
Proverbs 23 33 Commentary
Proverbs 23:33 serves as a profound warning, painting a vivid picture of the destructive impact of excessive drinking on human faculties. It is not merely a caution against physical impairment but a powerful illustration of how drunkenness systematically erodes the very foundations of discernment and moral judgment. The eyes, typically the window to the soul and a primary means of understanding reality, become unreliable, seeing "strange things"—distorted perceptions, hallucinations, or being drawn to sights one would normally avoid in sobriety due to a loss of inhibition. Simultaneously, the mind, the core of thought, emotion, and will, ceases to function rationally. Instead of generating wisdom and righteous thoughts, it "utters perverse things"—twisted, confused, or morally depraved ideas and expressions. This dual corruption of external perception and internal cognition leads to profound foolishness and vulnerability, making one susceptible to deception and unable to make sound moral choices. The verse highlights the radical shift from ordered, wise thought to chaotic, inverted reasoning.