Proverbs chapter 6

Avoid foolish financial entanglements. Avoid being lazy. Avoid a malicious person. There are seven things the LORD hates. Avoid adultery.

 


 

AVOID FOOLISH FINANCIAL ENTANGLEMENTS

 

VERSE 1. My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger;

collateral. In ancient Israel, lending was a way to help a fellow Israelite. Charging interest was forbidden. But in our day, Christian lenders go against this prohibition. And get rich from it. Read more »

 

VERSE 2. You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

You are trapped. If you have co-sign a loan for someone, it can lead to your loss of what you have earned.

 

VERSE 3. Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

deliver yourself. If you have entered into a foolish financial entanglement, do whatever is necessary to get out of it.

humble yourself. This means to crush or tread oneself down, to demean.

Press your plea. This suggests being boisterous.

 

VERSE 4. Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

Give no sleep to your eyes. It is imperative that you get out of a foolish financial entanglement.

Do it TODAY!

 

VERSE 5. Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

 

AVOID BEING LAZY

 

VERSE 6. Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

NIV translation: Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Proverbs and from the entire Bible.

Go to the ant. In the ant, we can see that hard work and focus pay off.

you sluggard. To be called a sluggard is a great biblical insult. Solomon often writes about the sluggardly person. Read more »

 

VERSE 7. which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

 

VERSE 8. provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

 

VERSE 9. How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

How long will you sleep. To be called a sluggard is a great biblical insult. Solomon often writes about the sluggardly person. Read more »

 

VERSE 10. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

 

VERSE 11. so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

 

AVOID A MALICIOUS PERSON

 

VERSE 12. A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;

worthless person. That is, a scoundrel. Someone who is worthless.

man of iniquity. That is, a villain. Someone who is wicked.

walks with a perverse mouth. A scoundrel is known by his corrupt mouth. His words are false and deceptive.

 

VERSE 13. who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;

 

VERSE 14. in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

 

VERSE 15. Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

 

SEVEN THINGS THE LORD HATES

 

VERSE 16. There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Proverbs and from the entire Bible.

six … seven. This “six … seven” pattern is used in other Old Testament passages.

The purpose is not to give a complete list. Instead it is to stress the final item as the culmination or product of its preceding items.

 

VERSE 17. arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Proverbs and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 18. a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Proverbs and from the entire Bible.

 

VERSE 19. a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Book of Proverbs and from the entire Bible.

 

AVOID ADULTERY

SUMMARY: This section only addresses adultery. It does not address any other sexual topics.

 

VERSE 20. My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.

 

VERSE 21. Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

 

VERSE 22. When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

 

VERSE 23. For the commandment is a lamp, and the Torah is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

 

VERSE 24. to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

the immoral woman. That is, “woman of evil.” Blame is put on the woman, rather than the man.

the wayward wife. That is, a sexually promiscuous married woman.

The Book of Proverbs often reveals a deeply negative view of women. That probably reflects a misogynistic personality on the part of the men who wrote the book. Read more »

 

VERSE 25. Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

 

VERSE 26. For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

 

VERSE 27. Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

scoop fire into his lap. Adultery is like playing with fire.

 

VERSE 28. Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

 

VERSE 29. So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

 

VERSE 30. Men don’t despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

 

VERSE 31. but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

 

VERSE 32. He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

void of understanding. An adulterous man is a fool.

destroys his own soul. We will see this notion in the next chapter:

Proverbs 7:23. Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.

 

VERSE 33. He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

 

VERSE 34. For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.

 

VERSE 35. He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.

 


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PROVERBS

CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

RESOURCES: SummaryOutline, Memorize, Sluggard, Tree of Life, Misogynism

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.