Proverbs 23:29 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 23:29 mean?

Proverbs 23:29 asks who suffers a series of troubles, from distress and quarrels to injuries and red eyes. The answer comes in the next verse: people who linger over wine. The questions prepare the listener to recognize the harm associated with drinking heavily.

The speaker piles up six questions before giving the answer. “Wounds without cause” pictures injuries whose reason seems uncertain or senseless, while “redness of eyes” adds a visible sign to the list.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 23:29

• “babbling” — שִׂיחַ (siaḥ): This word can refer to speech or complaint. Here it is often understood as troubled talk or complaining, rather than simply meaningless chatter.
• “without cause” — חִנָּם (ḥinnam): This word can mean “for nothing” or “without reason.” It gives the wounds a sense of being needless or senseless.

Why Proverbs 23:29 matters

• The questions draw together troubles that affect both feelings and relationships. “Woe” and “sorrow” stand alongside “contentions,” or quarrels.
• The delayed answer makes the reader consider the whole list before identifying its subject. Verse 30 connects the troubles with those who “tarry long at the wine.”
• The passage goes on to describe impaired perception, not only outward signs. Verse 33 speaks of the eyes seeing strange things and the heart speaking confused things.