What does “Labour not to be rich” mean in this passage?

“Labour not to be rich” does not mean we should be lazy or avoid work. It warns against working in an excessive, restless way with the main goal of becoming rich. The picture is of someone wearing himself out, filling his days and nights with plans and schemes just to pile up more money. Normal, honest work to care for yourself, your family, and to help others is good. But when getting rich becomes your main aim and you chase wealth as if it will make you happy and secure, this verse says you are going in the wrong direction.

What does it mean to “cease from thine own wisdom” in verse 4?

“Cease from thine own wisdom” means stop trusting your own clever ideas about how to get rich and how to secure your life. The verse pictures someone always plotting, inventing new ways, and leaning on their own understanding to gain more money. Instead of resting in God’s wisdom and following a simple, honest path, they depend on their own plans. This line calls us to let go of that self-confident mindset, to accept that our ideas about wealth and safety are often wrong, and to trust God’s way rather than our own schemes.

Why does the passage say riches are “that which is not”?

Riches are called “that which is not” to show how empty and temporary they really are. Money is real in one sense, but it is not a true and lasting treasure for the soul. It cannot give deep peace, it does not keep its promises, and it will not last. In a short time it can be gone, or we can be taken from it. So when the verse asks, “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?” it is asking, “Will you fix your heart and hopes on something that cannot truly satisfy you and will soon disappear?” It calls that way of living foolish.

What does it mean that riches make themselves wings and fly away?

The image of riches making themselves wings and flying away like an eagle shows how fast and easily wealth can disappear. A person may work hard, save, and feel secure, but money can leave suddenly through loss, trouble, or death. The picture of an eagle suggests speed, strength, and being out of reach. Once it flies up toward heaven, you cannot catch it or call it back. In the same way, wealth has its own way of slipping through our fingers. This verse reminds us not to set our hearts on something so uncertain, but to hold money loosely and look to God instead.

How does this passage warn against covetousness and greed?

This passage warns against covetousness by exposing the lie that being rich will make life complete. It shows how greed turns life into heavy drudgery, with a person always working, planning, and worrying just to gain more. It also shows that the object of this desire is empty and passing, calling riches “that which is not” and describing them as flying away. By telling us not to labour to be rich and not to fix our eyes on wealth, it gently turns us away from making money our main love and points us toward a simpler, God-centered way of living.

How can this teaching about riches apply to everyday life today?

This teaching speaks into any life that is driven by money, career, or status. It invites you to ask why you work the way you do. Are you working just to be comfortable and generous, or are you chasing riches as if they can finally make you safe and happy? It also questions how much of your mental energy is spent on money plans, investments, and possessions. Applying this passage means choosing moderate, honest work, refusing shady ways of getting ahead, and learning to rest your heart in God’s care rather than in your bank balance.

Why is trusting in our own wisdom about money called a mistake here?

Trusting in our own wisdom about money is called a mistake because our hearts easily overvalue wealth and underestimate how uncertain it is. We tend to think that if we just reach a certain level of income or savings, we will finally be secure and content. This passage says that is wrong. Life does not consist in how much we own. Riches can vanish, and they never satisfy the soul. When we lean on our own ideas, we end up making wealth our main goal. The verse calls us to drop that false wisdom and receive God’s view of money instead.

Does this verse mean believers should not plan or save money at all?

This verse does not forbid planning or saving. The wider teaching here allows for working to support yourself, caring for your family, helping others, and even laying up something for children. The warning is against overworking, anxious striving, and greedy hoarding. It speaks against making wealth your main purpose or using crooked methods to get it. Planning and saving with a humble heart, ready to give and not trusting money for security, fits with this passage. Obsessive chasing after riches and treating them as your hope does not.

Prov.23.4

Proverbs 23:4

KJV

Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

Saying 8

Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom.

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.