Proverbs 25:21
“If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Part of the proverbs of Solomon copied by Hezekiah's men, this saying joins with the following verse to teach kindness toward enemies and trust in God's reward and judgment.
What Does Proverbs 25:21 Mean?
Proverbs 25:21 commands that when your enemy is hungry or thirsty, you should meet their need with food and water rather than withholding kindness. This is a striking reversal of natural instinct. The ordinary human response to an enemy is to ignore their suffering or even welcome it. The proverb instead calls for active, practical generosity toward the very person who has wronged us -- bread for their hunger, water for their thirst.
This teaching pierces to the heart of how the wise treat those who oppose them. It is not passive avoidance of revenge but positive good done to an enemy in their moment of need. The next verse explains the result -- such kindness "heaps coals of fire" upon the enemy's head, an image widely understood as the burning of shame that may melt hostility into repentance, while God Himself rewards the doer. The proverb anticipates one of the highest ethical teachings later echoed in the New Testament: overcoming evil with good. It does not promise the enemy will change, but it frees the giver from the corrosive grip of bitterness and entrusts justice to God. To feed an enemy is to act in the freedom of mercy rather than the bondage of resentment.
In the Original Language
The word "enemy" is "sone'," literally "one who hates you." "Bread" is "lechem," meaning food generally, and the verbs are simple imperatives -- direct commands to give and to feed.
Cross References
“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.”
- Romans 12:20
“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.”
- Matthew 5:44
“Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth.”
- Proverbs 24:17
Application
When someone who has wronged you is in genuine need, respond with practical kindness, freeing yourself from bitterness and entrusting justice to God.
Related Verse Explanations
Topics