Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, lest he grow weary and hate you.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house, lest he be weary of you, and hate you.
- KJV Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
- NKJV Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, Lest he become weary of you and hate you.
- NASB Let your foot rarely be in your neighbor’s house, Or he will become weary of you and hate you.
- NLT Don’t visit your neighbors too often, or you will wear out your welcome.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Do not visit your neighbor too often, or he will grow weary of you. Even welcome relationships need restraint.
Overview
Wisdom applies the moderation principle to friendship: overstaying or overburdening a neighbor can turn welcome into resentment. Love considers the other's limits and space. It commends thoughtful, considerate friendship that preserves rather than strains relationships.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Gen 19:2–3and said, “My lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant; wash your feet and spend the night. Then you can rise early and go on your way.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”
- Rom 15:24I hope to see you on my way to Spain. And after I have enjoyed your company for a while, you can equip me for my journey.
- Judg 19:18–21The Levite replied, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to the remote hill country of Ephraim, where I am from. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the LORD; but no one has taken me into his home,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 25:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.