If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:

PROVERBS 25:21KJV
Know the Bible

Proverbs 25:21 (KJV)

What does Proverbs 25:21 mean?

Proverbs 25:21 teaches that if someone you consider an enemy is in need—hungry or thirsty—you should give them food and water. The verse encourages showing kindness even to those who oppose you, rather than seeking revenge or holding back help.

In this proverb, the writer (traditionally Solomon, speaking as a wise teacher) addresses anyone listening, urging them to respond to hostility with generosity. The setting assumes a real-life situation where a person might encounter an adversary in distress. The verse’s plain sense is about practical, everyday actions: meeting basic needs for anyone, even those you might not get along with.

The Hebrew behind Proverbs 25:21

  • The word for "enemy" is שָׂנֵא (śanē’), which means someone who hates or opposes you. The verse does not limit kindness to friends or neutral parties but extends it to those with whom you have conflict.
  • "Hungry" is רָעֵב (ra‘ēv), meaning someone lacking food. The focus is on a real, physical need, not just a general wish for well-being.
  • "Bread" is לֶחֶם (lechem), the basic staple food, emphasizing meeting fundamental needs rather than offering luxury.
  • "Thirsty" is צָמֵא (tsāmē’), and "water" is מַיִם (mayim), again pointing to essential needs. The verse is about concrete, tangible help, not just good intentions.

Why Proverbs 25:21 matters

  • Proverbs 25:21 corrects the common instinct to repay hostility with hostility, showing that wisdom calls for compassion even toward adversaries.
  • The verse highlights that kindness is not limited by personal feelings or relationships; it is a principle to be practiced universally.
  • This teaching connects to a broader biblical theme of overcoming evil with good and sets the stage for similar teachings found later in the Bible, such as in the teachings of Jesus.

Where else these words appear

“thirsty” Hebrew H6771 · used in 9 verses

  • Deuteronomy 29:19 And it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst:
  • Psalms 107:5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
  • Isaiah 32:6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

“hungry” Hebrew H7457 · used in 22 verses

  • 1 Samuel 2:5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
  • Psalms 107:5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
  • Isaiah 29:8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

“drink” Hebrew H8248 · used in 72 verses

  • Genesis 2:6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
  • Genesis 40:20 And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants: and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.
  • Psalms 36:8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

“enemy” Hebrew H8130 · used in 139 verses

  • Genesis 24:60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.
  • Esther 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them,(though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)
  • Proverbs 1:22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?