Proverbs 24:30

30 I went by the field of the hater of work, and by the vine-garden of the man without sense;

Proverbs 24:30 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 24:30

I went by the field of the slothful
This very probably was a real matter of fact; King Solomon's way lay at a certain time by the field of a slothful man, who never went into it himself, there being a lion in the way; and which he took no care of to manure and till, to plough and sow, but let it lie waste and uncultivated; an emblem of a carnal and worldly professor, and especially an unregenerate man, neglecting the affairs of his soul, his heart remaining like the fallow field unopened and unbroken, hard, obdurate, and impenitent; nothing sown in it, no seed of grace; nor has the seed of the word any place in it, but falling on it lies like seed by the wayside, caught up by every bird; and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
as the slothful man is, that takes no care to plant and dress it, that it may bring forth fruit to his own profit and advantage; and as every unregenerate man is, who is unconcerned about his soul, and the welfare of it; whatever understanding he may have of things natural and civil, he has no knowledge of spiritual things, of God in Christ, of himself, his state and condition; of Christ, and the way of peace, life, and salvation by him; of the Spirit, and his work of grace upon the heart; and of the Gospel, and the mysteries of it; and so has no regard to the vineyard of his soul, and the plantation and fruitfulness of it; see ( Song of Solomon 1:6 ) .

Proverbs 24:30 In-Context

28 Do not be a violent witness against your neighbour, or let your lips say what is false.

29 Say not, I will do to him as he has done to me; I will give the man the reward of his work.

30 I went by the field of the hater of work, and by the vine-garden of the man without sense;

31 And it was all full of thorns, and covered with waste plants, and its stone wall was broken down.

32 Then looking at it, I gave thought: I saw, and I got teaching from it.