“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:”
My Notes
What Does Proverbs 25:21 Mean?
If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he's thirsty, give him water. The instruction is direct and counterintuitive — provide the basic necessities of life to the person who opposes you.
This proverb is quoted directly by Paul in Romans 12:20, where he applies it to Christian ethics. The principle predates the New Testament — generosity toward enemies is rooted in the wisdom tradition of Israel, not just the teachings of Jesus.
The specificity matters: bread and water. Not abstract kindness. Not theoretical forgiveness. Tangible, physical provision. You see your enemy hungry, and you put food in front of them. You see them thirsty, and you hand them a cup. The enemy's physical need overrides the relational conflict. Their humanity comes before your hostility.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Is there a specific enemy whose hunger or thirst you've been ignoring because of what they did to you?
- 2.What does it cost you to feed someone who has hurt you — and what does it cost you not to?
- 3.How does the physical specificity of this proverb (bread, water) challenge you beyond abstract forgiveness?
- 4.What did Jesus' fulfillment of this proverb on the cross reveal about the ultimate purpose of generosity toward enemies?
Devotional
Your enemy is hungry. Feed them. Your enemy is thirsty. Give them water.
Not metaphorically. Not eventually. Now. When you see the need, meet it. Regardless of who they are to you.
This is one of the oldest ethical instructions in the Bible — older than the Sermon on the Mount, embedded in Proverbs centuries before Jesus said "love your enemies." The idea that your enemy's hunger matters more than your anger isn't a New Testament invention. It's ancient wisdom.
The instruction is physical and specific because generosity toward enemies can't stay abstract. It's easy to say "I forgive them" from a distance. It's harder to hand a glass of water to someone who has hurt you. The bread and water force proximity. They require you to see your enemy as a person — a hungry, thirsty person — before you see them as an opponent.
This doesn't mean the conflict isn't real. It doesn't mean you pretend the offense didn't happen. It means you refuse to let their hostility determine your humanity. They chose to be your enemy. You choose to be human anyway.
Jesus took this proverb to the cross. He fed the world that crucified Him. He gave living water to the people who nailed Him to a tree. If you want to know what this proverb looks like at full volume, look at Calvary.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat,.... Which includes all manner of food; whatever persons may have in…
A precept reproduced by Paul Rom 12:20; the second clause of which seems at first sight to suggest a motive incompatible…
By this it appears that, however the scribes and Pharisees had corrupted the law, not only the commandment of loving our…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture