Proverbs 16:26
New International Version
The appetite of laborers works for them; their hunger drives them on.

New Living Translation
It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on.

English Standard Version
A worker’s appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on.

Berean Standard Bible
A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger drives him onward.

King James Bible
He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

New King James Version
The person who labors, labors for himself, For his hungry mouth drives him on.

New American Standard Bible
A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.

NASB 1995
A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.

NASB 1977
A worker’s appetite works for him, For his hunger urges him on.

Legacy Standard Bible
A worker’s appetite works for him, For his mouth urges him on.

Amplified Bible
The appetite of a worker works for him, For his hunger urges him on.

Christian Standard Bible
A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger urges him on.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger urges him on.

American Standard Version
The appetite of the laboring man laboreth for him; For his mouth urgeth him thereto.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
The soul of a sufferer makes him sick and from the mouth of his soul destruction comes to him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A man who labours, labours for himself, and drives from him his own ruin.

Contemporary English Version
The hungrier you are, the harder you work.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The soul of him that laboureth, laboureth for himself, because his mouth hath obliged him to it.

English Revised Version
The appetite of the labouring man laboureth for him; for his mouth craveth it of him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A laborer's appetite works to his advantage, because his hunger drives him on.

Good News Translation
A laborer's appetite makes him work harder, because he wants to satisfy his hunger.

International Standard Version
The appetite of the laborer motivates him; indeed, his hunger drives him on.

JPS Tanakh 1917
The hunger of the labouring man laboureth for him; For his mouth compelleth him.

Literal Standard Version
A laboring man has labored for himself, | For his mouth has caused [him] to bend over it.

Majority Standard Bible
A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger drives him onward.

New American Bible
The appetite of workers works for them, for their mouths urge them on.

NET Bible
A laborer's appetite works on his behalf, for his hunger urges him to work.

New Revised Standard Version
The appetite of workers works for them; their hunger urges them on.

New Heart English Bible
The appetite of the laboring man labors for him; for his mouth urges him on.

Webster's Bible Translation
He that laboreth laboreth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.

World English Bible
The appetite of the laboring man labors for him, for his mouth urges him on.

Young's Literal Translation
A labouring man hath laboured for himself, For his mouth hath caused him to bend over it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Reply of the Tongue is from the LORD
25There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. 26A worker’s appetite works for him because his hunger drives him onward. 27A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.…

Cross References
Proverbs 16:25
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Proverbs 16:27
A worthless man digs up evil, and his speech is like a scorching fire.

Ecclesiastes 6:7
All a man's labor is for his mouth, yet his appetite is never satisfied.


Treasury of Scripture

He that labors labors for himself; for his mouth craves it of him.

He

Proverbs 9:12
If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

Proverbs 14:23
In all labour there is profit: but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

Ecclesiastes 6:7
All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

craveth it of him boweth unto him

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Appetite Bend Caused Desire Drives Driving Food Hunger Laboreth Laboring Labourer Mouth Need Thereto Urgeth Working Works
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Proverbs 16
1. The Plans of the heart














(26) He that laboureth laboureth for himself.--Rather, the desire, or hunger, of the labourer laboureth for him, for his mouth urges him on; the feeling that he is supplying his own needs gives him strength for his work.

Verse 26. - He that laboureth laboureth for himself; literally, the soul of him that laboureth laboureth for him. "Soul" here is equivalent to "desire," "appetite" (comp. Proverbs 6:30), and the maxim signifies that hunger is a strong incentive to work - the needs of the body spur the labourer to diligence and assiduity; he eats bread in the sweat of his brow (Genesis 3:19). Says the Latin gnome -

"Largitor artium, ingeniique magister Venter."

"The belly is the teacher of all arts,
The parent of invention."
De tout s'avise a qui pain faut, "He who wants bread thinks of everything." There is our own homely saw, "Need makes the old wife trot;" as the Italians say, "Hunger sets the dog a-hunting" (Kelly). For his mouth craveth it of him; his mouth must have food to put in it. The verb אָכַפ (akaph) does not occur elsewhere; it means properly "to bend," and then to put a load on, to constrain to press. So here, "His mouth bends over him, i.e. urgeth him thereto" (Revised Version). Ecclesiastes 6:7, "All labour of man is for his mouth;" we should say stomach. Hunger in some sense is the great stimulus of all work. "We commanded you," says St. Paul (2 Thessalonians 3:10), "that if any would not work, neither should he eat." There is a spiritual hunger without which grace cannot be sought or obtained - that hungering and thirsting after righteousness of which Christ speaks, and which he who is the Bread of life is ready to satisfy (Matthew 5:6; John 6:58). The Septuagint expands the maxim: "A man in labours labours for himself, and drives away (ἐκβιάζεται) his own destruction; but the perverse man upon his own mouth carrieth destruction."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A worker’s
עָ֭מֵל (‘ā·mêl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6001: Toiling, a laborer, sorrowful

appetite
נֶ֣פֶשׁ (ne·p̄eš)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

works
עָ֣מְלָה (‘ā·mə·lāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 5998: To toil, work severely and with irksomeness

for him
לּ֑וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

because
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

his hunger
פִּֽיהוּ׃ (pî·hū)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

drives
אָכַ֖ף (’ā·ḵap̄)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 404: To press, urge

him onward.
עָלָ֣יו (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 16:26 The appetite of the laboring man labors (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 16:25
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