Proverbs 6:13

13 he beckoneth with (the) eyes, he trampeth with the foot, he speaketh with the finger,

Proverbs 6:13 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 6:13

He winketh with his eyes
Not through natural infirmity, but purposely and with design; with one of his eyes, as Aben Ezra, as is usual with such persons: it is the air and gesture of a sneering and deceitful man, who gives the wink to some of his friends, sneering at the weakness of another in company; or as signifying to them some secret design of his against another, which he chooses not to declare in any other way; he speaketh with his feet;
the motions of the feet have a language; the stamping of the feet expresses rage; here it seems to intend the giving of a him to another, by privately pressing his foot with his, when he should be silent or should speak, or do this or the other thing he would have him do; he teacheth with his fingers;
by stretching them out or compressing them; and so showing either scorn and contempt F24, or rage and fury. The whole of it seems to design the secret, cunning, artful ways, which wicked men have to convey their meanings to one another, without being understood by other persons; they have a language to themselves, which they express by the motions of their eyes, feet, and fingers: and this character of art and cunning, dissimulation and deceit, fitly agrees with the man of sin, ( 2 Thessalonians 2:10 ) ( Revelation 13:11 ) . So mimics are said to speak with their hands; some have been famous in this way F25.


FOOTNOTES:

F24 "In hunc intende digitum", Plauti Pseudolus, Act. 4. Sc. 7. v. 45. "----aliis dat digito literas", Ennius.
F25 Vid. Barthii Animadv. ad Claudian. de Consul. Mallii Paneg. v. 311.

Proverbs 6:13 In-Context

11 And then neediness, as a waygoer, shall come to thee; and poverty, as an armed man. Forsooth if thou art not slow (But if thou art not lazy), thy ripe corn shall come as a well; and neediness shall flee far from thee.
12 A man apostate, a man unprofitable, (is) he (who) goeth with a wayward mouth;
13 he beckoneth with (the) eyes, he trampeth with the foot, he speaketh with the finger,
14 by shrewd heart he imagineth evil, and in all time he soweth dissensions. (with a depraved heart he imagineth all kinds of evil, and at all times he soweth discord.)
15 His perdition shall come to him anon, and he shall be broken suddenly; and he shall no more have medicine. (His perdition shall come upon him at once, and suddenly he shall be broken; and then he shall be without any remedy.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.