Proverbs 6

King James Version

Full text for Proverbs Chapter 6

1¶ My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, [if] thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

3Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

4Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

5Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand [of the hunter], and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

6¶ Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

7Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

8Provideth her meat in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.

9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

10[Yet] a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

11So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

12¶ A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

13He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

14Frowardness [is] in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

16These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him:

17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

19A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

20¶ My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

21Bind them continually upon thine heart, [and] tie them about thy neck.

22When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

23For the commandment [is] a lamp; and the law [is] light; and reproofs of instruction [are] the way of life:

24To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

25Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

26For by means of a whorish woman [a man is brought] to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

27Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

28Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

29So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

30[Men] do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

31But [if] he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

32[But] whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he [that] doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

33A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

34For jealousy [is] the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Proverbs 6 warns against the dangers of suretyship, slothfulness, and wickedness. It encourages diligence by observing the ant and lists seven things the Lord hates, including pride and sowing discord. The chapter concludes with a strong admonition against adultery, emphasizing its destructive and irredeemable consequences compared to other transgressions.

Medium Summary

Proverbs 6 begins by cautioning against the perils of becoming surety for a friend or stranger, urging immediate action to escape such a financial snare. It then shifts to an instruction against slothfulness, advising the sluggard to observe the diligent ant, which prepares for the future without external oversight, warning that laziness leads to sudden poverty. The chapter proceeds to describe the characteristics of a wicked person, who communicates deceitfully and constantly devises mischief, foretelling their sudden and irreparable downfall. A specific list of seven things the Lord hates is presented, including a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, and sowing discord among brethren. Finally, the chapter strongly admonishes the son to keep parental commandments as protection against the "strange woman" or adulteress. It vividly illustrates the ruinous effects of adultery, stating that it destroys one's soul, brings lasting dishonor, and provokes an unappeasable jealousy, contrasting its severe consequences with those of theft.

Long Summary

Proverbs chapter 6 opens with a paternal warning concerning the dangers of becoming surety for a friend or stranger, advising the son that such an act can ensnare him through his own words. It urges immediate and humble action to extricate oneself from this commitment, emphasizing the need for urgency, like a roe escaping a hunter. The text then transitions to an admonition against slothfulness, directing the "sluggard" to observe the ant, which diligently gathers food in summer without any guide or overseer. This industriousness is presented as a model, contrasting sharply with the sluggard's tendency to sleep, which inevitably leads to poverty arriving like an armed man. Subsequently, the chapter describes a "naughty person" or wicked man, characterized by deceitful communication through winks, gestures, and a froward mouth. This individual continually devises mischief and sows discord, and the text declares that calamity will come upon him suddenly and without remedy. A distinct section then enumerates six things the Lord hates, with a seventh being an abomination: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet swift in running to mischief, a false witness who speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren. The latter part of the chapter issues a solemn warning against adultery, urging the son to keep his father's commandment and mother's law, as these serve as a lamp and light to guide and protect him. This instruction is specifically presented as a safeguard against the "evil woman" or "strange woman," whose beauty and flattery are temptations to be resisted. The text graphically illustrates the destructive nature of adultery, stating that it reduces a man to poverty and hunts for his "precious life." It poses rhetorical questions about handling fire or hot coals without harm, likening them to the impossibility of committing adultery without incurring guilt. While acknowledging that a hungry thief might be less despised, though still required to restore sevenfold, the chapter asserts that one who commits adultery lacks understanding and destroys his own soul. Such an act brings a wound and dishonour that cannot be wiped away, as the jealousy of the offended husband is fierce and unappeasable, refusing any ransom or gifts.

Core Concepts

  • SuretyshipThe act of guaranteeing another's debt or obligation, which the chapter warns against as a snare that can lead to being bound by one's own words and requiring urgent self-deliverance.
  • SlothfulnessA state of idleness and laziness, condemned in the chapter through the example of the diligent ant, and warned as a direct path to sudden poverty and want.
  • Wickedness and DeceitThe characteristic behavior of a "naughty person" who communicates deceptively and constantly devises mischief, leading to sudden and irreparable calamity.
  • Abominations to the LordA specific list of seven behaviors or attitudes, including pride, lying, violence, wicked thoughts, eagerness for mischief, false witness, and sowing discord, which are intensely hated by God.
  • Parental InstructionThe commandments of a father and the law of a mother are presented as vital guidance, serving as a lamp and light to protect and lead the son, particularly from moral dangers.
  • Adultery's ConsequencesThe severe and destructive outcomes of sexual immorality with a "strange woman," including financial ruin, destruction of one's soul, lasting dishonor, and the unappeasable rage of a jealous husband.
  • Jealousy's RageThe intense and unyielding anger of a man whose wife has committed adultery, described as a force that will not spare in the day of vengeance and cannot be appeased by ransom or gifts.