Proverbs 6:10-20

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:

Proverbs 6:10-20 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes

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