Proverbs 6:12-22

12 A ¹worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a ²perverse mouth,

13 Who ³winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, Who points with his fingers;

14 Who with ⁴perversity in his heart continually * ⁵devises evil, Who ⁶spreads strife.

15 Therefore * ⁷his calamity will come suddenly; ⁸Instantly he will be broken and there will be ⁹no healing.

16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:

17 ¹⁰Haughty eyes, a ¹¹lying tongue, And hands that ¹²shed innocent blood,

18 A heart that devises ¹³wicked plans, ¹⁴Feet that run rapidly to evil,

19 A ¹⁵false witness who utters lies, And one who ¹⁶spreads strife among brothers.

20 ¹⁷My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;

21 ¹⁸Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck.

22 When you ¹⁹walk about, they will guide you; When you sleep, they will watch over you; And when you awake, they will talk to you.

Proverbs 6:12-22 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.

Cross References

• 1. Proverbs 16:27
• 2. Proverbs 4:24; Proverbs 10:32
• 3. Job 15:12; Psalms 35:19; Proverbs 10:10
• 4. Proverbs 17:20
• 5. Proverbs 3:29; Micah 2:1
• 6. Proverbs 6:19; Proverbs 16:28
• 7. Proverbs 24:22
• 8. Isaiah 30:13, 14; Jeremiah 19:11
• 9. 2 Chronicles 36:16
• 10. Psalms 18:27; Psalms 101:5; Proverbs 21:4; Proverbs 30:13
• 11. Psalms 31:18; Psalms 120:2; Proverbs 12:22; Proverbs 17:7
• 12. Deuteronomy 19:10; Proverbs 28:17; Isaiah 1:15; Isaiah 59:7
• 13. Genesis 6:5; Proverbs 24:2
• 14. Proverbs 1:16; Isaiah 59:7; Romans 3:15
• 15. Psalms 27:12; Proverbs 12:17; Proverbs 19:5, 9; Proverbs 21:28
• 16. Proverbs 6:14
• 17. Ephesians 6:1
• 18. Proverbs 3:3
• 19. Proverbs 3:23

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "scrapes"
• [b] Lit "instructs with"
• [c] Lit "sends out"
• [d] Lit "of His soul"
• [e] Lit "sends out"
• [f] Or "law"
• [g] Lit "she"
• [h] Lit "she"
• [i] Lit "she"