My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

PROVERBS 24:13KJV
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Proverbs 24:13 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 24:13 mean?

Proverbs 24:13 encourages the reader, addressed as "my son," to eat honey because it is good and sweet to the taste. The verse uses the goodness and sweetness of honey as a positive example, suggesting that some things in life are both pleasant and beneficial.

In this proverb, a wise teacher or parent speaks to a younger person, using the simple pleasure of eating honey to make a point. The setting is everyday life, where honey was a valued and enjoyable food in ancient Israel. The verse uses this concrete image to prepare for a lesson about wisdom in the next verse, showing that wisdom, like honey, is both delightful and good for you.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 24:13

  • The word for "son" is בֵּן (ben), which often signals a caring, instructional tone from an older, wiser person to a younger one.
  • "Honey" is דְּבַשׁ (devash), a common and prized food in ancient Israel, known for its sweetness and nourishing qualities.
  • "Honeycomb" is נֹפֶת (nofet), which refers specifically to the dripping honey or the comb itself, emphasizing the purest, most desirable form of honey.
  • "Sweet" is מָתוֹק (matoq), meaning pleasant or delightful to the senses, highlighting not just the taste but the overall enjoyment.
  • "Taste" is חֵךְ (chek), which literally means the palate or roof of the mouth, focusing on the personal experience of enjoying something good.

Why Proverbs 24:13 matters

  • Proverbs 24:13 sets up a comparison for the next verse, where wisdom is likened to honey, helping the reader connect the pleasure of honey with the value of wisdom.
  • The verse clears up any idea that the Bible only warns against pleasure; here, it affirms that some things are both enjoyable and genuinely good.
  • By using everyday experience, the proverb makes its teaching accessible and memorable, grounding spiritual lessons in familiar, tangible realities.

Where else these words appear

“honeycomb” Hebrew H5317 · used in 5 verses

  • Psalms 19:10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
  • Proverbs 5:3 For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:
  • Proverbs 27:7 The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

“sweet” Hebrew H4966 · used in 11 verses

  • Judges 14:14 And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.
  • Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
  • Ecclesiastes 11:7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

“taste” Hebrew H2441 · used in 18 verses

  • Job 6:30 Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?
  • Job 33:2 Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.
  • Song of Solomon 2:3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

“honey” Hebrew H1706 · used in 54 verses

  • Genesis 43:11 And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds:
  • Deuteronomy 27:3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.
  • Psalms 81:16 He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.