Commentary - Proverbs 27:7

Bird's-eye view

This proverb sets before us a fundamental principle of human appetite, both physical and spiritual. It operates on a simple, observable reality: a man who has just feasted finds the most delectable dessert unappealing, while a starving man will count scraps from the garbage as a feast. Solomon, by the Spirit, uses this earthy illustration to teach a profound spiritual lesson about the nature of satisfaction and desire. The "satisfied soul" is the one who is spiritually complacent, full of himself, his own righteousness, or the junk food of this world. To such a man, the gospel, the honeycomb of God's grace, is something to be trampled underfoot. But the "hungry soul," the one who knows his own spiritual bankruptcy and desperation, finds the gospel sweet, even those parts of it that are bitter to the worldling's palate, like repentance, self-denial, and the cross.

The verse is therefore a diagnostic tool for the soul. Our appetite for the things of God is a direct indicator of our spiritual health. Apathy toward Christ and His Word is the sign of a soul that is full, not of true substance, but of spiritual styrofoam. A desperate, aching hunger for righteousness, on the other hand, is the sign of a soul that God is preparing to fill. This proverb is a warning to the proud and an encouragement to the brokenhearted, reminding us that true satisfaction begins with a holy desperation.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 27 is part of the collection of Solomon's proverbs compiled by the men of King Hezekiah (Prov 25:1). This section is full of practical wisdom, often presented in sharp contrasts, that touches on everything from agriculture and friendship to folly and diligence. This particular proverb fits within a broader tapestry of warnings against arrogance and self-satisfaction. It follows verses that caution against boasting about tomorrow (27:1) and praising oneself (27:2). It is a book designed to instill wisdom and the fear of the Lord, and a key component of that wisdom is knowing one's true condition. Just as a wise farmer knows the state of his flocks (27:23), a wise man knows the state of his own soul. This proverb provides a crucial metric for that self-examination: what do you hunger for? The answer reveals whether you are wise or a fool, spiritually alive or dead.

Key Issues

Hunger is the Best Sauce

We have all experienced the truth of this proverb in the physical realm. After a massive Thanksgiving dinner, the most exquisite slice of pumpkin pie can seem like a burden. But a man who has been working hard in the fields all day, having missed lunch, will devour a simple meal of bread and cheese with more relish than a king at his banquet. The state of the man determines the value of the meal. Hunger transforms everything. It is the best sauce, as the old saying goes.

Solomon is not just giving dietary advice. He is using this universal human experience as a window into the soul. The logic is covenantal. God has prepared a feast for His people in the person and work of His Son. The gospel is a honeycomb, rich with the sweetness of grace, forgiveness, and fellowship with God. But this feast is only for the hungry. The great tragedy of the human condition, exemplified by the Pharisees in Jesus' day and by respectable churchmen in our own, is that men come to this banquet table already full. They are stuffed with their own good works, their own respectability, their own wisdom. And when the glorious honeycomb of the gospel is set before them, they have no appetite for it. In fact, they find it offensive and trample it underfoot.

Verse by Verse Commentary

7a A satisfied soul tramples the honeycomb,

The first clause paints a picture of arrogant wastefulness. The "satisfied soul" is literally a "full soul." He is sated, stuffed, and can take no more. The honeycomb in the ancient world was the epitome of natural sweetness and delight, a direct gift of God's providence. It was a luxury, a treat of the highest order. To trample it is an act of supreme contempt. It means to treat a precious thing as though it were dirt. This is what spiritual complacency does. The man who is full of himself, full of his own achievements, or full of the cheap thrills of the world, looks at the gospel and scoffs. The doctrines of grace, the bloody cross, the call to repentance, the demand for absolute surrender to Christ as Lord, these things are not just unappealing to him; they are offensive. He has no room for them, no felt need for them. And so he tramples the precious gift of God. This is the Laodicean church, who said, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," not knowing they were wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked (Rev 3:17).

7b But to a hungry soul any bitter thing is sweet.

The contrast is stark. Here we have the "hungry soul." This is the man who is empty and knows it. He is starving, desperate. This is the publican beating his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, the sinner!" (Luke 18:13). For this man, the dynamic is completely reversed. Even something that might seem "bitter" to the pampered palate is received as sweet. What might this bitter thing be? It could be the humbling reality of admitting you are a sinner. It could be the bitter herbs of repentance and turning from cherished sins. It could be the difficult demands of discipleship, of taking up a cross. To the world, and to the satisfied soul, these things are impossibly bitter. But to the man who is starving for righteousness, who knows that his only other option is to perish, these things are received with joy. The surgeon's knife is a bitter thing, but to the man with a fatal disease, it is a sweet instrument of life. The gospel comes to us with demands that are bitter to our flesh, but to the soul that has been awakened by the Spirit to its true hunger, these demands are the very taste of salvation. He is so hungry for God that he will take Him on any terms, and finds those terms to be sweeter than honey.

Application

This proverb forces us to ask a very personal and searching question: Are you hungry? What is the state of your spiritual appetite? When you open your Bible, do you come to it as a man sitting down to a feast, or as one merely glancing at a menu after having already eaten? When the gospel is preached, does your heart leap within you at the sweetness of Christ, or do you find your mind wandering, your heart unmoved, your soul already full?

If you find yourself in the latter category, the category of the satisfied soul, you should be terrified. Your lack of appetite is a symptom of a profound spiritual sickness. You are full, but not with the bread of life. You are likely filled with pride, with worldly cares, with digital distractions, or with a form of religion that is all external. The solution is not to try and whip up a synthetic appetite. The solution is to plead with God to show you the true state of your soul. Ask Him to show you your sin, your need, your spiritual poverty. Ask Him to give you the gift of hunger. For it is a gift.

If, on the other hand, you feel a deep and gnawing hunger for God, if you are acutely aware of your own emptiness and sinfulness, then this proverb is for you a word of immense comfort. That hunger is the sign that God is at work in you. Do not despise it. Do not try to satisfy it with the world's appetizers. Feed it with the Word of God. Bring it to the Lord's Table. That hunger is what prepares you to taste and see that the Lord is good. He is the one who satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things (Ps 107:9). The promise of the gospel is not for the full, but for the hungry and thirsty. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matt 5:6).