He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him.
The person who works hard is working for their own benefit, because their hunger drives them to it.
This verse is saying that our basic needs naturally motivate us to work and provide for ourselves.
📚 Historical Context
In the time of King Solomon, around 1000 BC, ancient Israelite society was agrarian, where most people engaged in manual labor like farming to survive and provide for their families. Proverbs, a collection of wisdom sayings attributed to Solomon, offers practical advice on everyday life, emphasizing the rewards and motivations of hard work. This verse reflects the cultural reality that personal effort was driven by basic needs, such as hunger, in a world without modern welfare systems.
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