Is a Man What He Thinks? (Proverbs 23:7a)

Proverbs 23:7a NKJV For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

Proverbs 23:7a is popularly understood to mean that a person can be or become whatever he thinks. However, there are a few problems with using this verse in this way.

Firstly, one has to change what the verse says. Proverbs 23:7a is usually quoted as, “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” However, that is not what the verse says. Rather, the word “man” has been added to the verse. In reality, the word “man” does not appear in any English translation of the verse, nor is it found in the original Hebrew text of the verse.

Secondly, one has to take the verse out of context. Usually, only the first part of Proverbs 23:7 is usually quoted. However, in its entirety, Proverbs 23:6–8 is a warning against accepting the generosity of a miser:

Do not eat the bread of a miser,
Nor desire his delicacies;
₇ For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
“Eat and drink!” he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.
₈ The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,
And waste your pleasant words. (NKJV)

Even if one uses the NKJV, in context, Proverbs 23:7 means that a miser may appear to be generous, even inviting you to “Eat and drink!” at his expense, but his true self is what he truly “thinks in his heart”. The second part of the verse explains: “his heart is not with you.”

Therefore, in context, the “he” in Proverbs 23:7a refers to the miser from verse 6, and not a “man” who can be or become whatever he thinks.

Thirdly, one has to use only the KJV or the NKJV. The Hebrew word for “thinks” in the KJV and NKJV of Proverbs 23:7 is the verb shāʿar (שָׁעַר), which means to calculate the value of something. In this context, it refers to the miser calculating the cost of the meal which he is inviting someone to eat and drink. The Hebrew text of Proverbs 23:7a more literally reads, “For like one who calculates in his soul, thus he is.” Other translations render this in smoother English:

• “for he is like one who is inwardly calculating. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.” (ESV)
• “for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. “Eat and drink,” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.” (NIV)
• “They are always thinking about how much it costs. “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.” (NLT)

The mistaken interpretation does not make sense in other translations. Even if one does not know any Hebrew, a basic comparison of this verse in other translations would make it clear that Proverbs 23:7a is not at all about how a person can be whatever he thinks.