Proverbs 23:8
"You will vomit up the morsel you have eaten, and waste your compliments"
This is the end verse of three about the person who has a completely evil eye. Or as the NASB has it, a selfish man. A person who is willing to put what they want above everything else in life. Someone who is willing to harm others to accomplish what they want. This is the definition of evil intent.
Solomon here wants to emphasize that the compliments or pleasant words (literal Hebrew translation) that you throw at the selfish person are completely wasted. The person actually believes that every good thing that is said about them is true, and they are only looking for an advantage in every situation to get what they want. They do not think about giving or caring for others. They only think about themselves.
Solomon paints a graphic picture of how the selfish person will get back everything that he gives you and more. He uses the picture of retching; vomiting up what you have swallowed. The imagery is clear. The person who is truly selfish only gives to get. They have already planned how they will get out of you far more than they give to you. So you will give back what they give to you, either violently or subtly; but it will come out of you.
One needs to be aware, when you are conducting business, whether you are dealing with a purely selfish person who wants only for themselves or a fair-minded business person who wants all parties to truly benefit from the transaction.
One needs to be aware of what type of person you are dealing with in every type of relationship. The selfish person never really gives you anything but is, instead, priming the pump for what they will get out of you. The selfish person constantly and only thinks about themselves and what they want. They are capable of strategizing over a long period on how to get what they want, but their actions all come down to getting what they want. Be careful. There are a number of people in the world who have given into selfishness that are like this, but also be encouraged that not everyone is like this.
Until tomorrow,
Gil Stieglitz