Proverbs 16:26 (NASV)
A worker's appetite works for him,
for his hunger urges him on.
The above proverb is an observation that those who are hungry will be driven to work. Even begging on the side of the road can be consider, by some, as a form of work. The hunger of that man or women has driven them off their couch and onto the streets to at least beg. Hunger is a motivating factor. Note what the Word Biblical Commentary says about this proverb, below:
Life is presented here as a struggle in which bodily appetite is seen as a powerful moving force. "Appetite" (נפשׁ) is paralleled by "mouth," which here is not the organ of speech, but serves as a synonym for desire or appetite. "Toil" (עמל) is a key word in Qoheleth, and Whybray interprets line a in the light of Eccl 4:7-8 (a rich person toiling out of greed) and 3:9 (toil seen as futile). However, such a context is forcing this proverb which is content to merely register an observation. A better analogy would be Eccl 6:7: "All human toil is for the mouth, but the appetite is never satisfied." Here mouth and appetite are in parallelism. Although the dissatisfaction of Qoheleth is apparent, his comment recognizes that the appetite for food is a basic fact that moves humankind to toil.
Whereas the hunger is stated as a motivating factor the type of hunger is not. Those who are "hungry" for riches will strive and work to get more. Those who "hunger" for affection and appreciation will go through walls if others show them thus. Solomon, therefore, gives us a key that to get others to work is to find or identify their particular hunger or appetite. It might be said that we each have a particular "appe-type" of life. Discovering that "appe-type" is a way to assure that the worker never becomes de-motivated in life. His or her hunger will urge him or her on.
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