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Proverbs 6:9
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 6:9
Lexham English Bible
9 How long will you lie down, lazy?
When will you rise up from your sleep?
Proverbs 6:9
New English Translation
Proverbs 6:9
New English Translation
9 How long, you sluggard, will you lie there?
When will you rise from your sleep?[a]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:9 sn The use of the two rhetorical questions is designed to rebuke the lazy person in a forceful manner. The sluggard is spending too much time sleeping.
Proverbs 10:26
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 10:26
Lexham English Bible
26 Like vinegar to the tooth and like smoke to the eyes,
thus is the lazy to one who employs[a] him.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:26 Or “sends”
Proverbs 10:26
New English Translation
Proverbs 10:26
New English Translation
26 Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes,[a]
so is the sluggard to those[b] who send him.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:26 sn Two similes are used to portray the aggravation in sending a lazy person to accomplish a task. Vinegar to the teeth is an unpleasant, irritating experience; and smoke to the eyes is an unpleasant experience that hinders progress.
- Proverbs 10:26 tn The participle is plural, and so probably should be taken in a distributive sense: “to each one who sends him.”
Proverbs 15:19
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 15:19
Lexham English Bible
19 The way of the lazy is like a hedge of thorns,[a]
but the path of the upright is a highway.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:19 Hebrew “thorn”
Proverbs 15:19
New English Translation
Proverbs 15:19
New English Translation
19 The way of the sluggard is like a hedge of thorns,[a]
but the path of the upright is like[b] a highway.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 15:19 tn Heb “like an overgrowth”; NRSV “overgrown with thorns”; cf. CEV “like walking in a thorn patch.” The point of the simile is that the path of life taken by the lazy person has many obstacles that are painful—it is like trying to break through a hedge of thorns. The LXX has “strewn with thorns.”
- Proverbs 15:19 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
- Proverbs 15:19 sn The contrast to the “thorny way” is the highway, the Hebrew word signifying a well built-up road (סָלַל, salal, “to heap up”). The upright have no reason to swerve, duck, or detour, but may expect “clear sailing.” Prov 28:19 pairs similar concepts while Prov 6:10 and 10:26 speak of the hardships associated with laziness.
Proverbs 19:24
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 19:24
Lexham English Bible
24 A lazy person buries his hand in the dish,
and even to his mouth he will not bring it back.
Proverbs 19:24
New English Translation
Proverbs 19:24
New English Translation
24 The sluggard has plunged[a] his hand into the dish,
and he will not even bring it back to his mouth![b]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:24 tn Heb The verb תָּמַן (taman) means “to bury” (so many English versions) or “to hide” (so KJV). As the perfect form of a dynamic verb it should be understood as past or perfective. The proverb presents a scene where the sluggard has not just reached to the food in the dish but buried his hand in it. The second comment reveals that this is not a frozen frame, but a continuing scene revealing the extent of his laziness.
- Proverbs 19:24 sn This humorous portrayal is an exaggeration, but the point is that laziness opposes common sense and can thwart basic needs. It would have a wider application for anyone who would start a project and then lack the interest or energy to finish it (R. N. Whybray, Proverbs [CBC], 111). Ibn Ezra proposes that the dish was empty, because the sluggard was too lazy to provide for himself.
Proverbs 20:4
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 20:4
Lexham English Bible
4 The lazy person will not plow in season;
he will expect at the harvest, but there will be nothing.
Proverbs 20:4
New English Translation
Proverbs 20:4
New English Translation
4 The sluggard will not plow[a] during the planting season,[b]
so at harvest time he asks[c] for grain[d] but has nothing.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 20:4 sn The act of plowing is put for the whole process of planting a crop.
- Proverbs 20:4 tn Heb “from winter.” The preposition מִן (min) may designate the starting point “from winter [onward]” or the cause “due to” (so ASV “by reason of the winter”). The noun “winter” refers to the time for sowing seed and having the early growth of crops. The right time for planting was after the autumn harvest and the rainy season of autumn and winter began.
- Proverbs 20:4 tc The Kethib reads a Qal imperfect, while the Qere reads a vav plus Qal perfect consecutive. Both forms would be future; the Qere more overtly states this as a consequence.tn The basic meaning of the Qal verb שָׁאַל (shaʾal) is “to ask;” by extension it sometimes means “to wish for; to desire; to borrow” and perhaps “to beg.” The Piel can mean “to beg” and does not require emending the consonantal text. Because he did not plant, or did not do it at the right time, he is reduced to begging and will have nothing (cf. KJV, ASV; NASB “he begs during the harvest”).
- Proverbs 20:4 tn The phrase “for grain” does not appear in the Hebrew but is implied; it is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
Proverbs 21:25-26
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 21:25-26
Lexham English Bible
25 The craving of a lazy person will kill him,
for his hands refuse to work.[a]
26 All day[b] he craves a craving,
but the righteous will give and not hold back.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:25 Or “make”
- Proverbs 21:26 Literally “All the day”
Proverbs 21:25-26
New English Translation
Proverbs 21:25-26
New English Translation
25 What the sluggard desires[a] will kill him,[b]
for his hands[c] have refused to work.
26 All day long he has craved greedily,[d]
but the righteous person gives and does not hold back.[e]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:25 tn Heb “the desire of the sluggard” (so ASV, NASB). This phrase features a subject genitive: “what the sluggard desires.” The term תַּאֲוַת (taʾavat, “desire; craving”) is a metonymy of cause. The craving itself will not destroy the sluggard, but what will destroy him is what the craving causes him to do or not to do. The lazy come to ruin because they desire the easy way out.
- Proverbs 21:25 tn The verb תְּמִיתֶנּוּ (temitennu) is the Hiphil imperfect with a suffix: “will kill him.” It is probably used hyperbolically here for coming to ruin (cf. NLT), although it could include physical death.
- Proverbs 21:25 sn “Hands” is figurative for the whole person, but “hands” is retained in the translation because it is often the symbol to express one’s ability of action.
- Proverbs 21:26 tn The construction uses the Hitpael perfect tense הִתְאַוָּה (hitʾavvah) followed by the cognate accusative תַאֲוָה (taʾavah). While the Piel verb means “to desire, wish for,” the reflexive meaning of the Hitpael appears to mean to encourage or build one’s desire. An English idiom might be to fan the flames of desire. It is not inherently immoral (the king will build desire for his bride in Ps 45:11) but often more often refers to a greedy craving or lust. This verse has been placed with the preceding because of the lexical connection with “desire/craving.”
- Proverbs 21:26 sn The additional clause, “and does not hold back,” emphasizes that when the righteous gives he gives freely, without fearing that his generosity will bring him to poverty. This is the contrast with the one who is self-indulgent and craves for more.
Proverbs 22:13
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 22:13
Lexham English Bible
13 A lazy person says “A lion in the street!
In the middle of the highway, I shall be killed!”
Proverbs 22:13
New English Translation
Proverbs 22:13
New English Translation
13 The sluggard has said,[a] “There is a lion[b] outside!
I will be killed in the middle of the streets!”[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:13 tn The verb אָמַר (ʾamar) can mean “to say” or “to think.” The proverb uses the Hebrew perfect form of the verb for the past tense, giving the reason the sluggard is still in the house rather than out working. It is an example of the sorts of excuses he has made.
- Proverbs 22:13 sn The proverb humorously describes the sluggard as making ridiculous excuses for not working—he might be eaten by a lion (e.g., 26:13). It is possible that “lion” is figurative, intended to represent someone who is like a lion, but this detracts from the humor of the exaggeration.
- Proverbs 22:13 tc The LXX changes the phrase to read “murderers in the street” to form a better parallelism, possibly because the verb רָצַח (ratsakh) is used only of humans, not wild animals. The NIV attempts to solve the problem by making the second line a separate claim by the sluggard: “or, ‘I will be murdered in the streets!’”
Proverbs 24:30-34
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 24:30-34
Lexham English Bible
30 I passed by the field of a lazy person,
and over the vineyard of a person lacking sense;[a]
31 and behold, it was overgrown—all of it was covered with thorns, its surface with nettles,
and its stone wall[b] was broken down.
32 Then I myself saw and my heart[c] considered;
I looked, and I took hold of instruction:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands for rest,
34 and your poverty will come running,
and your lack like an armed warrior.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:30 Literally “heart”
- Proverbs 24:31 Literally “a wall of his/its stones”
- Proverbs 24:32 Or “mind”
Proverbs 24:30-34
New English Translation
Proverbs 24:30-34
New English Translation
30 I passed by the field of a sluggard,
by the vineyard of one who lacks sense.[a]
31 I saw[b] that thorns had grown up all over it,
the ground[c] was covered with weeds,
and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I scrutinized[d] it. I was putting[e] my mind[f] to it—
I saw;[g] I took in a lesson:[h]
33 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to relax,
34 and your poverty will come like a bandit,
and your need like an armed robber.”[i]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:30 tn Heb “lacking of heart.” The term לֵב (lev, “mind, heart”) refers by metonymy to thinking, and by extension to discernment, wisdom, good sense.
- Proverbs 24:31 tn The Hebrew term וְהִנֵּה (vehinneh, traditionally “and, lo” [KJV, ASV]) is a deictic particle that calls for attention. Frequently it shifts the point of view to that of the speaker. Translating with “I saw” moves us into the sage’s point of view and calls attention to the field that was noticed.
- Proverbs 24:31 tn Heb “its face” (so KJV, ASV).
- Proverbs 24:32 tn The verb וָאֶחֱזֶה (vaʾekhezeh) is a preterite of אָחַז (ʾakhaz) “to look at.” In context the sage looked with analytic thinking, hence “scrutinized.” As a preterite verb, it gives a successive action in past time. This preterite links back to the perfect verb “I passed by” in v. 30 (whereas the three perfect verbs in v. 31 were each controlled by the opening הִנֵּה [hinneh] as simultaneous conditions with the perfective nuance). The following verbs in this verse are simultaneous to this preterite and do not advance the timeline.
- Proverbs 24:32 tn The verb אָשִׁית (ʾashit) is an imperfect form of a dynamic root in a past time setting. The previous verb, a preterite, is part of establishing the past time setting. Because this is a long prefixed form (spelled with the mater lectionis yod), it is not written as a preterite and should be understood as imperfective. Typically an imperfect in a narrative background clause is habitual (which could not work in this context) or past progressive. It may however be an abilitive modal expression “I was able to set my mind to it.” In either case this verb does not advance the timeline but expresses something happening while the sage scrutinized the field.
- Proverbs 24:32 tn The word לֵב (lev) is often translated “heart” but the word also means the “mind.” The Hebrew idiom “to set/put the לֵב (lev)” transfers well to English when rendering with “mind” and indicates careful consideration to what was observed.
- Proverbs 24:32 tn The verb רָאִיתִי (raʾiti) is a perfect verb meaning “to see” and by extension “to understand.” It could refer to the looking that the sage was doing, or to realizing the lesson. Together with the previous imperfect and following perfect verb, it is part of the past tense time frame established by the preterite verb beginning the verse. If רָאִיתִי refers to the looking, then within the preterite’s time frame this verb represents an onset while the next verb represents a conclusion to the act of pondering. If this verb refers to realizing, then together with the next verb it represents the conclusion of the act of pondering.
- Proverbs 24:32 sn The teacher makes several observations of the state of the sluggard that reveal that his continued laziness will result in poverty. The reminiscence used here may be a literary device to draw a fictional but characteristically true picture of the lazy person.
- Proverbs 24:34 tn Heb “a man of shield.” This could refer to an armed warrior (so NRSV) but in this context, in collocation with the other word for “robber” in the previous line, it must refer to an armed criminal.
Proverbs 26:13-16
Lexham English Bible
Proverbs 26:13-16
Lexham English Bible
13 A lazy person says “A lion is in the road!
A lion among the streets!”
14 The door turns on its hinge,
and a lazy person on his bed.
15 A lazy person buries his hands in the dish;
he is too tired to return it to his mouth.
16 A lazy person is wiser in his eyes
than seven who answer discreetly.
Proverbs 26:13-16
New English Translation
Proverbs 26:13-16
New English Translation
13 The sluggard[a] has said,[b] “There is a lion in the road!
A lion in the streets!”[c]
14 Like[d] a door that turns on its hinges,[e]
so[f] a sluggard turns[g] on his bed.
15 The sluggard has plunged[h] his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy[i] to bring it back to his mouth.[j]
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own opinion[k]
than seven people who respond with good sense.[l]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 26:13 sn The Book of Fools covered vv. 1-12. This marks the beginning of what may be called the Book of Sluggards (vv. 13-16). Cf. this verse with 22:13.
- Proverbs 26:13 tn The verb אָמַר (ʾamar) can mean “to say” or “to think.” The proverb uses the Hebrew perfect form of the verb for the past tense, giving the reason the sluggard is still in the house rather than out working. It is an example of the sorts of excuses he has made.
- Proverbs 26:13 tn Heb “in the broad plazas”; NAB, NASB “in the square.” This proverb makes the same point as 22:13, namely, that the sluggard uses absurd excuses to get out of work. D. Kidner notes that in this situation the sluggard has probably convinced himself that he is a realist and not a lazy person (Proverbs [TOTC], 163).
- Proverbs 26:14 tn The comparative “like” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied from context in the translation.
- Proverbs 26:14 sn The sluggard is too lazy to get out of bed—although he would probably rationalize this by saying that he is not at his best in the morning. The humor of the verse is based on an analogy with a door—it moves back and forth on its hinges but goes nowhere. Like the door to the wall, the sluggard is “hinged” to his bed (e.g., Prov 6:9-10; 24:33).
- Proverbs 26:14 tn Because of the analogy within the verse, indicated in translation by supplying “like,” the conjunction vav has been translated “so.”
- Proverbs 26:14 tn The term “turns” is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation from the parallelism.
- Proverbs 26:15 tn Heb The verb תָּמַן (taman) means “to bury” (so many English versions) or “to hide” (so KJV). As the perfect form of a dynamic verb it should be understood as past or perfective. The proverb presents a scene where the sluggard has not just reached to the food in the dish but has buried his hand in it. The second comment reveals that this is not a frozen frame, but a continuing scene revealing the extent of his laziness.
- Proverbs 26:15 tn The verb נִלְאָה (nilʾah) is a Niphal perfect of the root לָאָה (laʾah) “to be/grow weary.” The Niphal is typically reflexive, “to wear oneself out.” Since the sluggard has not worked, the choice of this verb sounds like a jest. Perhaps it should be understood that, for the sluggard, merely reaching to the bowl is such effort as to become (or feel) to weary to bring his hand back.
- Proverbs 26:15 sn The proverb is stating that the sluggard is too lazy to eat; this is essentially the same point made in 19:24 (see the note there).
- Proverbs 26:16 tn Heb “in his eyes.” The lazy person thinks that he has life all figured out and has chosen the wise course of action—but he is simply lazy. J. H. Greenstone says, for example, “Much anti-intellectualism may be traced to such rationalization for laziness” (Proverbs, 269).
- Proverbs 26:16 tn The term means “taste; judgment.” The related verb means “to taste; to perceive,” that is, “to examine by tasting,” or examine by experiencing (e.g., Ps 34:9). Here the idea is expressed with the participle in construct, “those returners [of] good sense,” those who answer tastefully, with discretion. Cf. NIV “who (+ can NRSV) answer discreetly.”
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
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New English Translation (NET)
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