Proverbs6

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.

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Warning Against Suretyship

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

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

Do 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.

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

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

The Danger of Laziness

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

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

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

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

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

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

The Deceitful and Wicked Man

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

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

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

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

Seven Things God Hates

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

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

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

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

Adherence to Instruction and the Adultery Trap

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Study Notes for Proverbs 6

Verse 1

To be 'surety' means co-signing or guaranteeing a loan for a friend. Striking hands (v. 1) was the customary legal gesture for sealing such a binding financial agreement, placing the guarantor at high risk.

Verse 3

The counsel is practical and urgent: if trapped by a guarantee, one must act immediately to dissolve the agreement, even if it means humbling oneself before the creditor or friend to be released from the obligation.

Verse 5

Deliverance should be swift and desperate, like an animal escaping a trap. This metaphor emphasizes the severe financial danger associated with unchecked suretyship.

Verse 6

The ant is presented as a model of wisdom and diligence. It demonstrates industry, foresight, and self-organization, providing for its future without needing external compulsion or supervision.

Verse 11

Poverty is personified as a violent, unavoidable force. It comes stealthily like a traveler (or robber) and forcefully like an armed man, highlighting that laziness guarantees destitution.

Verse 12

The 'naughty person' (Hebrew *Beliyya'al*) describes a worthless and destructive individual whose entire manner of life is characterized by malicious speech and deceit.

Verse 13

This verse describes non-verbal communication used for malice. Winking, signaling with the feet, and teaching with the fingers indicate secretive, conspiratorial, and deceitful behavior.

Verse 15

Because the wicked man’s actions are continuous and deliberate, his judgment will be sudden and without remedy, emphasizing the finality of God's response to persistent malice.

Verse 16

This numerical proverb (six, yea, seven) is a literary device used to structure a list, indicating completeness and emphasizing the seriousness of these particular sins that destroy community and violate divine order.

Verse 19

Sowing discord among brethren is often placed last in such lists, suggesting it is the summation of anti-social behavior, as it actively undermines the harmony and community God desires.

Verse 20

The instruction transitions back to the primary theme of Proverbs: obedience to parental teaching, which is equated with adherence to divine wisdom and moral law.

Verse 24

The primary practical benefit of following wisdom is protection from the 'strange woman' (the adulteress), whose flattery and seduction lead to moral and physical ruin.

Verse 26

This verse contrasts the financial ruin caused by a prostitute ('a piece of bread') with the greater danger of the adulteress, who hunts for the husband's 'precious life,' meaning his honor, reputation, and very existence.

Verse 32

Adultery demonstrates a profound lack of moral sense and understanding (*lev*). The adulterer destroys his own soul (life/self) by inviting physical harm, public shame, and divine judgment.

Verse 34

The consequences of adultery are uniquely severe because they invoke the husband's uncontrollable rage (jealousy). This passion is not appeasable by financial compensation, demanding justice rather than a settlement.

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Proverbs6

Warning Against Suretyship

The Danger of Laziness

The Deceitful and Wicked Man

Seven Things God Hates

Adherence to Instruction and the Adultery Trap

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