Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone
Proverbs 23:5 - Wisdom that demonstrates the futility of pinning your aspirations and dreams on wealth.
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“Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.”
Proverbs 23:5 NIV
Many of the best Proverbs are similar to the one that we’re looking at today, in that they demonstrate the futility of pinning your aspirations and dreams on wealth.
At the time the Book of Proverbs was being written, wealth was measured in terms of livestock, land, and precious metals. None of these treasures came with a guarantee of lasting value. Perhaps you had huge herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. Disease, predation, and theft could wipe those out in a relatively short amount of time.
Maybe you had acquired or inherited vast amounts of land, which was then rented out to farmers or sold outright. All it took in those times was a neighboring country declaring war on your nation, and suddenly that land was no longer yours.
What if your wealth was a huge hoard of gold, silver, and precious jewels? Chances were good that everyone knew about that hoard, and they probably wanted some or all of it. So theft, embezzlement by workers, and of course the desire of greedy neighboring kings would make short work of shrinking your hoard away to nothing.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 offered this wisdom about wealth:
“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.”
Although acquiring and attempting to hold wealth was as much of a fixation to many people in Biblical times as it is today, the culture of the ancient Near East at the time valued wisdom and righteousness over material wealth. Jesus warned against storing up earthly treasures in Matthew 6:19-21:
““Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Wealth does have a tendency to vanish quickly, as if it sprouted wings. There’s a warning here — placing most of your trust in material possessions that can be gone in an instant can lead to being complacent spiritually. Jesus taught that it is futile to accumulate wealth without being “rich toward God” in the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21).
Elsewhere in the wisdom literature, we are reminded that working hard is a characteristic of those who are wise. But the point of this proverb is that we shouldn’t live only for the riches that come from that work. They’re simply too vulnerable and temporary to be the primary focus of our lives.
Image of Marshall Fire aftermath via ColoradoNewsline.com
We live in the arid western United States, where wildfires are a constant threat. This winter has been particularly warm and dry, making it a certainty that there will be severe and widespread fires. In late December 2021, the Marshall Fire about 30 miles away from us destroyed almost 1,100 homes and resulted in the evacuation of over 37,000 people. Fortunately, only two lives were lost in the disaster.
It was a true tragedy, and it could easily be repeated — perhaps in our own neighborhood. I used to lose sleep over things like this, but faith has changed my perspective. While losing things would be devastating, I now understand just how temporary they are in the eternal perspective.
Our earthly riches can go up in smoke or “sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” Bruce Waltke, cited on Enduring Word, provides a fitting conclusion to today’s devotional with this comment on the metaphor in today’s Proverb:
“The addition adds to the metaphor of the swift and powerful eagle that he outstrips all attempts to capture him. Riches will certainly disappear, and once gone, they are gone forever.”1
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer comes from Knowing Jesus:
Loving Father, I don’t want to look to the evaporating riches of this world, knowing that my treasure is kept for me in heaven. Please, Father, provide for my needs today and help me not to worry about tomorrow but simply to trust in Your Word, for You have promised to supply all my needs according to Your riches and glory. Thank You, Father, in Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author and reproduced here in their original format. © 1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com
Guzik, David. “Study Guide for Proverbs 23.” Blue Letter Bible. 6/2022. Web. 2 Mar, 2026.
BibleHub was accessed on March 2, 2026 for commentary on Proverbs 23:5
Waltke, Bruce K. “The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15-31” (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2005)