Don't Wear Yourself Out
Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless, Proverbs 23:10 · Berean Standard Bible
Don't move ancient property lines or take advantage of widows and orphans by stealing their land—it's a serious sin.
Moving boundary stones was an ancient form of theft. Orphans and widows were vulnerable people who couldn't defend their property, and the temptation to expand your land at their expense was real and present in ancient society.
A father or wise teacher speaking to a young person
This connects to God's deep concern for the vulnerable throughout Scripture. From the law codes to the prophets to Jesus, the Bible shows God has a special eye on how we treat those who can't protect themselves.
Do not remove ancient property boundary markers or seize land belonging to vulnerable people, for such theft carries grave consequences.
The 'ancient boundary stone' (גבול עולם, gevul olam) referenced here invokes both legal and sacred traditions; property lines were divinely established and socially maintained as fundamental to covenant order. The specific mention of 'the fatherless' reveals the vulnerable population most susceptible to such land-theft. Deuteronomic law repeatedly forbids this crime, suggesting it was a persistent problem in agrarian Judah.
The wisdom teacher, extending instruction from personal comportment to community ethics, establishing that wisdom encompasses justice toward the vulnerable.
This verse echoes the Deuteronomic focus on protecting widows, orphans, and aliens—a concern that becomes increasingly central in prophetic literature, where Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah condemn those who 'move boundary stones' as emblematic of systemic injustice against the defenseless.
8You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
9Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
10Do not move an ancient boundary stone or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,
11for their Redeemer is strong; He will take up their case against you.
12Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge.
Read all of Proverbs 23 — Do not wear yourself out to get rich. Have the wisdom to show restraint. Riches sprout wings and fly away like an eagle.
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