Proverbs 6

1 son, if thou become surety for thy friend, thou shalt deliver thine hand to an enemy.

2 For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.

3 son, do what I command thee, and deliver thyself; for on thy friend's account thou art come into the power of evil : faint not, but stir up even thy friend for whom thou art become surety.

4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber with thine eyelids;

5 that thou mayest deliver thyself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.

6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.

7 For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,

8 he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labours kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.

9 How long wilt thou lie, O sluggard? and when wilt thou awake out of sleep?

10 Thou sleepest a little, and thou restest a little, and thou slumberest a short , and thou foldest thine arms over thy breast a little.

11 Then poverty comes upon thee as an evil traveller, and want as a swift courier: but if thou be diligent, thine harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.

12 A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.

13 And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.

14 perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.

15 Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.

16 For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.

17 The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;

18 and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, — .

19 An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.

20 son, keep the laws of thy father, and reject not the ordinances of thy mother:

21 but bind them upon thy soul continually, and hang them as a chain about thy neck.

22 Whensoever thou walkest, lead this along and let it be with thee; that it may talk with thee when thou wakest.

23 For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:

24 to keep thee continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.

25 Let not the desire of beauty overcome thee, neither be thou caught by thine eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.

26 For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.

27 Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?

28 or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?

29 So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.

30 It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:

31 but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.

32 But the adulterer through want of sense procures destruction to his soul.

33 He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.

34 For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 He will not forego enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.

Proverbs 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

Cautions against rash suretiship. (1-5) A rebuke to slothfulness. (6-11) Seven things hateful to God. (12-19) Exhortations to walk according to God's commandments. (20-35)

Verses 1-5 If we live as directed by the word of God, we shall find it profitable even in this present world. We are stewards of our worldly substance, and have to answer to the Lord for our disposal of it; to waste it in rash schemes, or such plans as may entangle us in difficulties and temptations, is wrong. A man ought never to be surety for more than he is able and willing to pay, and can afford to pay, without wronging his family; he ought to look upon every sum he is engaged for, as his own debt. If we must take all this care to get our debts to men forgiven, much more to obtain forgiveness with God. Humble thyself to him, make sure of Christ as thy Friend, to plead for thee; pray earnestly that thy sins may be pardoned, and that thou mayest be kept from going down to the pit.

Verses 6-11 Diligence in business is every man's wisdom and duty; not so much that he may attain worldly wealth, as that he may not be a burden to others, or a scandal to the church. The ants are more diligent than slothful men. We may learn wisdom from the meanest insects, and be shamed by them. Habits of indolence and indulgence grow upon people. Thus life runs to waste; and poverty, though at first at a distance, gradually draws near, like a traveller; and when it arrives, is like an armed man, too strong to be resisted. All this may be applied to the concerns of our souls. How many love their sleep of sin, and their dreams of worldly happiness! Shall we not seek to awaken such? Shall we not give diligence to secure our own salvation?

Verses 12-19 If the slothful are to be condemned, who do nothing, much more those that do all the ill they can. Observe how such a man is described. He says and does every thing artfully, and with design. His ruin shall come without warning, and without relief. Here is a list of things hateful to God. Those sins are in a special manner provoking to God, which are hurtful to the comfort of human life. These things which God hates, we must hate in ourselves; it is nothing to hate them in others. Let us shun all such practices, and watch and pray against them; and avoid, with marked disapproval, all who are guilty of them, whatever may be their rank.

Verses 20-35 The word of God has something to say to us upon all occasions. Let not faithful reproofs ever make us uneasy. When we consider how much this sin abounds, how heinous adultery is in its own nature, of what evil consequence it is, and how certainly it destroys the spiritual life in the soul, we shall not wonder that the cautions against it are so often repeated. Let us notice the subjects of this chapter. Let us remember Him who willingly became our Surety, when we were strangers and enemies. And shall Christians, who have such prospects, motives, and examples, be slothful and careless? Shall we neglect what is pleasing to God, and what he will graciously reward? May we closely watch every sense by which poison can enter our minds or affections.

Footnotes

• [a]. Gr. strength.
• [b]. Comp. Heb.
• [c]. Gr sends forth judgments.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 6

In this chapter the wise man dissuades from rash suretyship; exposes the sin of idleness; describes a wicked man; makes mention of seven things hateful to God; exhorts to attend to parental instructions and precepts, and cautions against adultery. Suretyship is described, Pr 6:1; and represented as a snare and a net, in which men are taken, Pr 6:2; and advice is given what to do in such a case, for safety in it, and deliverance from it, Pr 6:3-5; The sin of slothfulness is exposed, by observing the industry of the ant, Pr 6:6-8; by expostulating with the sluggard for his continuance in sloth, and by mimicking him, Pr 6:9,10; and by the poverty it brings upon him, Pr 6:11. Then a naughty wicked man is described, by his mouth, eyes, feet, fingers, and heart, whose ruin is sudden and inevitable, Pr 6:11-15. The seven things hateful to God are particularly named, Pr 6:16-19. And next the exhortation in some preceding chapters is reassumed, to attend to the instructions of parents; which will be found ornamental, pleasant, and useful, Pr 6:20-23. Especially to preserve from the lewd woman cautioned against, Pr 6:24,25; whose company is dissuaded from; on account of the extreme poverty and distress she brings persons to, and even danger of life, Pr 6:26; from the unavoidable ruin such come into, Pr 6:27-29; from the sin of uncleanness being greater than that of theft, Pr 6:30,31; from the folly the adulterer betrays; from the destruction of his soul, and the disgrace he brings on himself, Pr 6:32,33; and from the rage and irreconcilable offence of the husband of the adulteress, Pr 6:34,35.