Proverbs 23:19-21 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
‘For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty.’ Scripture now gives the reason for the warning. Drunkenness and gluttony often produce poverty because they consume money, time, energy, opportunities, and ambition. A person who continually lives for pleasure often neglects work, responsibility, discipline, and long-term planning.
Any uncontrolled appetite can eventually bring loss. Whether it is pleasure, entertainment, gambling, luxury, materialism, or any other obsession, a life governed by appetite instead of wisdom eventually suffers consequences.
‘And drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.’ Drowsiness here refers not merely to physical sleep but to laziness, carelessness, and a lack of diligence. The person who continually seeks comfort rather than responsibility eventually experiences a lack. The imagery is striking: diligence clothes a person with provision, and laziness clothes a person with rags.
Throughout Proverbs, slothfulness is portrayed as a destroyer of potential. “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come” (6:10-11).
Living the Word 