Proverbs 23:32 — Word Study
WLCאַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃
BSAIn the endʼachărîyth [at the last, finally] it bitesnâshak▸ [like a serpent, with destructive power] like a snakenâchâsh [a viper, a poisonous serpent] and stingspârâsh▸ [wounds, pierces] like a vipertsephaʻ [an adder, a serpent that strikes with deadly precision]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ | end its | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| כְּנָחָ֣שׁ | like a snake | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| יִשָּׁ֑ךְ | it will bite | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
| וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י | and like a viper | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| יַפְרִֽשׁ׃ | it will sting | Verb, Hiphil, imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper. |
| KJV | At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. |
| ASV | At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder. |
| YLT | Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth. |
| WEB | In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper. |
| BBE | In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake. |
Where they part company is in the description of the snake and viper.
The verse consists of two main clauses connected by 'and', each followed by a simile that compares the actions to those of snakes.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָשַׁךְ
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 23:32
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Warnings Against Excessive Drinkinggenerated
Proverbs 23:32 is part of a series of warnings about the dangers of wine and strong drink. The preceding verses caution against the allure of wine, emphasizing that its initial appeal can lead to destructive consequences. This theme is echoed throughout the book of Proverbs, where wisdom often warns against folly and temptation, as seen in Proverbs 5:11 and Isaiah 28:3-7.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 5:11 | At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and your body are spent, |
| 2 | Isaiah 28:3–7 | The majestic crown of Ephraim’s drunkards will be trampled underfoot. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 5:31 | The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end? |
| 4 | Exodus 7:5–6 | And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.” |
| 5 | Luke 16:25–26 | But Abraham answered, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things. But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 11 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ, 'a.cha.ri.togenerated
The word אַחֲרִיתוֹ (achariyth) is a noun that means 'end' or 'after-part.' It often refers to the final part of something, including time or events, and can carry prophetic implications about the future or posterity.
In this verse, it signifies the ultimate outcome of indulging in wine, suggesting a warning that the end result is harmful and destructive, much like the bite of a serpent.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations agree in rendering יִשָּׁ֑ךְ as it bites and יַפְרִֽשׁ as it stings, highlighting the dangerous nature of wine.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main finite verbs in this verse are יִשָּׁ֑ךְ (it will bite) and יַפְרִֽשׁ (it will sting), which govern the imagery of danger that follows. The structure emphasizes the consequences of drinking, with the two verbs linked by the conjunction וּ (and).
The Hebrew word order places the verbs at the forefront, underscoring the actions that lead to harm, while the descriptive phrases follow to elaborate on the nature of that harm.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כְּנָחָ֣שׁ as ὄφεως (of a serpent), which aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning but reflects a more general term for snake. This choice maintains the imagery of danger inherent in the original text.
The verb יִשָּׁ֑ךְ is rendered in the Septuagint as πεπληγὼς, which conveys a sense of being struck, reinforcing the idea of harm.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 23:32 warns that in the end, wine can cause harm, comparing its effects to the bite of a snake and the sting of a viper. This verse is part of a larger warning about the dangers of drinking, emphasizing that what seems enjoyable can lead to painful consequences.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This verse teaches that while wine may seem appealing, it can lead to harmful consequences, much like the bite of a snake.
Snakes and vipers symbolize danger and harm, illustrating the destructive nature of excessive drinking.
This verse relates to other warnings in Proverbs about the dangers of temptation and the consequences of foolish behavior, as seen in Proverbs 5:11.
We can learn to be cautious about indulgences that may seem harmless at first but can lead to serious consequences.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What experiences have I had that reflect the warnings in this verse?
- How can I apply the wisdom of this verse to my own choices regarding alcohol?
- What are some other areas in my life where I might be tempted to indulge excessively?
- How can I support others in making wise choices about drinking?
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 23:32 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAt the last it biteth like a serpent,.... Though it goes down sweetly, yet it leaves a sting behind it, intemperately drank; a nausea in the stomach, a stink in the breath, pains and giddiness in the
Read John Gill on Proverbs 23 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAt the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Stingeth like an adder - Hebrew, tsip`oniy (H6848); the basilisk (Bochart); a viper (Maurer).
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 23 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleIt hurts the body in many respects, impairs the rigour of the mind, wastes the estate and reputation, wounds the conscience, and, without repentance, will destroy the soul.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 23 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 23:32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.Ver. 32. At the last it biteth like a serpent.] Lo, such is the guilt of sin, such the end and effect of drunkenness - torments here, and tortures in hell.
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 23 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible32. At the last — Literally, at its end; its final ruinous influence. Stingeth — Punctures, wounds. Like an adder — A basilisk, a very venomous serpent. Isaiah 11:8. “A cockatrice.” — Geneva Bible.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 23 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.
In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper.
In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper.
Afterward it bites like a snake, and stings like a viper.
Tyndale line
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, And stingeth like an adder.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
In the ende thereof it will bite like a serpent, and hurt like a cockatrise.
Strictly literal
at the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.
Its latter end — as a serpent it biteth, And as a basilisk it stingeth.
Its latter end—it bites as a serpent, || And it stings as a viper.
At the last it will bite like a serpent, and like a basilisk will it sting.
In the last it bites like a serpent and it stings like an adder.
From the Latin
But in the end, it will bite like a snake, and will spread abroad poison like a basilisk.
Simplified
In the end it bites like a serpent, it stings like a snake.
In the end, its bite is like that of a snake, its wound like the wound of a poison-snake.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text of Proverbs 23:32 states, "אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃" which translates to "In the end it bites like a snake and stings like a viper." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in meaning, as all five words correspond directly in a word-by-word analysis, although the order and structure may differ. There are no significant differences noted in the surviving Samaritan Pentateuch or the Dead Sea Scrolls for this verse, indicating a strong consistency across these ancient witnesses.
אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ כְּנָחָ֣שׁ יִשָּׁ֑ךְ וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י יַפְרִֽשׁ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 23:32
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אַחֲרִית (achariyth) means 'end' or 'after-part' and encompasses concepts like the future, posterity, and remnants. It can refer to the last time or the latter part of events, often with prophetic implications. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be behind' and is noted in various contexts, including discussions of time and lineage.
אַחֲרִית 61 n.f. after-part, end
base
H319 אַחֲרִית after-part, end
319 'achariyth akh-ar-eeth'
from 310; the last or end, hence, the future; also
posterity:--(last, latter) end (time), hinder (utter) -most,
length, posterity, remnant, residue, reward.
see HEBREW for 0310
אַחֲרִית (a.cha.rit) — end.
1) after part, end
1a) end, issue, event
1b) latter time (prophetic for future time)
1c) posterity
1d) last, hindermost
Aramaic equivalent: a.cha.rit (אַחֲרִית "latter" H0320)
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word נָחָשׁ (*nachash*) means 'serpent' or 'snake.' It can refer to a literal snake, a bronze image of a serpent, or even a mythological fleeing serpent. The word is derived from a root meaning to hiss, which relates to the sound snakes make.
נָחָשׁ n.m. serpent
serpent
bronze image of serpent
mythol. fleeing serpent
base
H5175 נָחָשׁ serpent
5175 nachash naw-khawsh'
from 5172; a snake (from its hiss):--serpent.
see HEBREW for 05172
נָחָשׁ (na.chash) — serpent.
1) serpent, snake
1a) serpent
1b) image (of serpent)
1c) fleeing serpent (mythological)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
נָשַׁךְ (nashak) primarily means 'to bite,' as in the action of striking with a sting, often associated with serpents. It also has a figurative sense related to financial transactions, specifically to 'pay interest' or 'lend upon usury.' The entries indicate that it can be used in different grammatical forms, such as Qal and Piel for biting, and Qal and Hiphil for lending with interest.
נָשַׁךְ vb. bite
Qal bite
Pi. and they shall bite you fatally
base
[נָשַׁךְ] vb. denom pay, give interest
Qal interest of anything off which one giveth interest
Hiph. make one give interest
base
H5391a נָשַׁךְ bite H5391b נָשַׁךְ vb. denom pay, give interest
5391 nashak naw-shak'
a primitive root; to strike with a sting (as a serpent);
figuratively, to oppress with interest on a loan:--bite, lend
upon usury.
נָשַׁךְ (na.shakh) — to bite.
1) to bite
1a) (Qal) to bite
1b) (Piel) to bite
נָשַׁךְ (na.shakh) — to pay interest.
1) to pay, give interest, lend for interest or usury
1a) (Qal) to give interest
1b) (Hiphil) to make to give interest
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms
The Hebrew word צֶ֫פַע (*tsepha'*) refers to a poisonous serpent, specifically a viper or adder. It is derived from an unused root meaning to extrude, suggesting a connection to the hissing sound of such snakes. The related term צִפְעוֹנִי (*tsiph'oni*) also denotes a poisonous serpent. Both terms appear in contexts that emphasize their venomous nature.
צֶ֫פַע n.m. a (poisonous) serpent (from hissing ?);—Is 14:29; usu. taken as = following [r.dj.ac].
done
צִפְעוֹנִי n.m. id. [r.dj.ab]; a venomous viper, but vipers do not lay eggs
base
H6848a צֶ֫פַע a (poisonous) serpent H6848b צִפְעוֹנִי id. [6848a]
6848 tsepha` tseh'-fah; or tsiph from an unused root meaning to extrude; a viper (as thrusting out the tongue, i.e. hissing):--adder, cockatrice.
צֶ֫פַע (tse.pah) — serpent.
1) poisonous serpent
1a) a viper snake or adder
צִפְעוֹנִי (tsiph.o.ni) — serpent.
1) poisonous serpent
1a) a viper
Also means: tse.pah (צֶ֫פַע "serpent" H6848A)
Conj | Prep | N-ms — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/R/Ncmsa
Viper
In Job 20:16, Isa. 30:6; 59:5, the Heb. word eph’eh is thus rendered. The Hebrew word, however, probably denotes a species of poisonous serpents known by the Arabic name of ‘el ephah. Tristram has identified it with the sand viper, a species of small size common in sandy regions, and frequently found under stones by the shores of the Dead Sea. It is rapid in its movements, and highly poisonous. In the New Testament echidne is used (Matt. 3:7; 12:34; 23:33) for any poisonous snake. The viper mentioned in Acts 28:3 was probably the vipera aspis, or the Mediterranean viper. (See ADDER.)
[SERPENT]
A genus of serpents noted for the virulence of their poison, which is said to be one of the most dangerous in the animal kingdom. Hence the viper is a symbol of whatever is most evil and destructive, Job 20:16 Isa 30:6. As such the term was applied by Christ and by John to certain classes of the Jews, Mt 3:7 12:34 23:33 Lu 3:7. Paul’s escape from the bite of a viper in Malta led the people to believe that he was a god in human form, Ac 28:3. A species of viper in Northern Africa, though little more than a foot long is called the most formidable serpent there; and Hasselquist speaks of a viper in Cyprus, whose bits produces…
פָּרַשׁ (pa.rash) is a Hebrew verb meaning to make distinct or declare. It can also imply separation or wounding, with usages in different forms such as Qal for declaring and Hiphil for piercing. Notably, it appears in Ezekiel 34:12 and Proverbs 23:32, where its meanings can vary slightly.
H6567a פָּרַשׁ make distinct, declare H6567b פָּרַשׁ Hiph. pierce, sting(?)
6567 parash paw-rash'
a primitive root; to separate, literally (to disperse) or
figuratively (to specify); also (by implication) to wound:--
scatter, declare, distinctly, shew, sting.
פָּרַשׁ (pa.rash) — to declare.
1) to make distinct, declare, distinguish, separate
1a) (Qal) to declare, clarify
1b) (Pual) to be distinctly declared
Aramaic equivalent: pe.rash (פְּרַשׁ "to make clear" H6568)
פָּרַשׁ (pa.rash) — to pierce.
(Hiphil) to pierce, sting
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · imperfect third person masculine singularHVhi3ms
sting (parash, "to cut into"; kentron, "a goad," "spur"): A sharp, pointed organ or instrument for inflicting wounds by puncture; sting of an adder, Pr 23:32; of scorpions, Re 9:10. In the free quotation of 1Co 15:55 from Ho 13:14, death is personified as a deadly animal, like a scorpion or serpent, which inflicts destruction by means of sin as its kentron. It should also be remembered that in Ac 26:14 the same Greek word is used with reference to an instrument for exciting fear, rather than death. Both figures are pertinent; for death is powerless, except through sin, and, also, when sin is vanquished, the fear of…