Amsal 5:9

5:9 lest you give your vigor ¹  to others

and your years to a cruel person,

Amsal 21:17

21:17 The one who loves ²  pleasure ³  will be ⁴  a poor person; ⁵ 

whoever loves wine and anointing oil ⁶  will not be rich.

Amsal 31:6

31:6 Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, ⁷ 

and wine to those who are bitterly distressed; ⁸ 

[5:9]  ¹ sn The term הוֹד (hod, “vigor; splendor; majesty”) in this context means the best time of one’s life (cf. NIV “your best strength”), the full manly vigor that will be wasted with licentiousness. Here it is paralleled by “years,” which refers to the best years of that vigor, the prime of life. Life would be ruined by living this way, or the revenge of the woman’s husband would cut it short.

[21:17]  ² sn The participle “loves” (אֹהֵב, ’ohev) indicates in this context that more is involved than the enjoyment of pleasure, for which there is no problem. The proverb is looking at “love” in the sense of needing and choosing, an excessive or uncontrolled indulgence in pleasure.

[21:17]  ³ sn “Pleasure” is actually the Hebrew word “joy” (שִׂמְחָה, simkhah). It is a metonymy of effect, the cause being the good life that brings the joy. In the second colon, “wine” and “oil” would be metonymies of cause, the particular things in life that bring joy. Therefore the figures in the lines work together to give the complete picture.

[21:17]  ⁴ tn The phrase “will be” is supplied in the translation.

[21:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “a man of poverty”; NRSV “will suffer want.”

[21:17]  ⁶ sn In elaborate feasts and celebrations the wine was for drinking but the oil was for anointing (cf. NAB, NCV “perfume”). Both of these characterize the luxurious life (e.g., Ps 23:5; 104:15; Amos 6:6).

[31:6]  ⁷ sn Wine and beer should be given to those distressed and dying in order to ease their suffering and help them forget.

[31:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “to the bitter of soul.” The phrase לְמָרֵי נָפֶשׁ (lÿmare nafesh) has been translated “of heavy hearts” (KJV); “in anguish” (NIV); “in misery” (TEV); “in bitter distress” (NRSV); “sorely depressed” (NAB); “in deep depression (NLT); “have lost all hope” (CEV). The word “bitter” (מַר, mar) describes the physical and mental/spiritual suffering as a result of affliction, grief, or suffering – these people are in emotional pain. So the idea of “bitterly distressed” works as well as any other translation.