Proverbs 6:13

13 who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers,

Proverbs 6:13 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
English Standard Version (ESV)
13 winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger,
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye, a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
The Message Bible (MSG)
13 They wink at each other, they shuffle their feet, they cross their fingers behind their backs.
American Standard Version (ASV)
13 That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, That maketh signs with his fingers;
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
13 He winks his eye, makes a signal with his foot, [and] points with his fingers.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
13 who winks his eyes, signals with his feet, and gestures with his fingers,
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
13 He winks with his eyes. He makes signals with his feet. He motions with his fingers.

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 poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.
12 A troublemaker and a villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13 who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers,
14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart— he always stirs up conflict.
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

Cross References 2

  • 1. S Psalms 35:19; Proverbs 16:30
  • 2. Isaiah 58:9
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