Some people make a meal out of wrongdoing. This verse uses the images of eating bread and drinking wine to describe how certain individuals feed on causing harm and violence. The Hebrew word for “violence” is chamas, meaning not just physical harm but any kind of injustice or abuse. It’s a picture of people who don’t just stumble into bad behavior—they rely on it, like food and drink.

This challenges the assumption that everyone wants peace or that harm is always accidental. For some, wrongdoing is a source of satisfaction, even comfort. That’s unsettling, but it helps explain why some situations feel toxic no matter how much you try to bring positivity.

If you’ve ever felt drained by someone who seems to thrive on conflict, this verse says you’re not imagining things. The best move is not to share in their “meal”—you can choose what you let feed your own spirit, even if you can’t change theirs.