Proverbs 6
Introduction
Proverbs 6 is a thematically diverse chapter in the book's opening section (Proverbs 1-9), which is otherwise dominated by extended parental discourses on wisdom and warnings against the adulteress. Here the teacher gathers a collection of urgent warnings that range across the landscape of daily life: the financial peril of guaranteeing another person's debt (vv. 1-5), the ruin that comes from laziness (vv. 6-11), the destructive character of the devious troublemaker (vv. 12-15), and a memorable numerical saying enumerating seven things the LORD detests (vv. 16-19). The chapter then returns to the familiar ground of the parental instruction, with a sustained warning against adultery that closes the chapter (vv. 20-35).
The warnings in this chapter are practical. Unlike the elevated speeches of Lady Wisdom in chapters 1, 8, and 9, these are the practical, street-level counsels of a parent who has seen the wreckage left by reckless financial pledges, chronic laziness, and sexual infidelity. The numerical saying in verses 16-19 stands at the center of the chapter both structurally and theologically, naming the attitudes and actions that the LORD himself finds abominable — a catalogue that functions as the negative image of the wise and righteous life the book commends.
Warning Against Surety (vv. 1-5)
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger, 2 if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth, 3 then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor. 4 Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. 5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
1 My son, if you have become surety for your neighbor, if you have clasped hands in pledge to a stranger, 2 if you have been snared by the words of your mouth, caught by the words of your lips, 3 then do this, my son, and save yourself — for you have come into your neighbor's power: go, throw yourself down, and plead urgently with your neighbor. 4 Give no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids. 5 Rescue yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
Notes
The passage opens with the familiar address בְּנִי ("my son") and plunges immediately into an urgent scenario: the young man has made a financially reckless commitment. The verb עָרַב ("to become surety, to pledge") refers to the ancient practice of guaranteeing another person's debt with one's own resources. In Israel's economy, such pledges could result in the loss of one's land, livestock, or even personal freedom. The warnings against surety recur throughout Proverbs (Proverbs 11:15, Proverbs 17:18, Proverbs 22:26-27).
"Struck hands" (תָּקַעְתָּ כַּפֶּיךָ) refers to the physical gesture of clasping hands to seal an agreement — essentially the ancient equivalent of signing a contract. The "stranger" (זָר) here likely refers not to a foreigner but to someone outside the immediate family, an outsider whose reliability is unknown. The teacher's point is that binding yourself financially to someone you cannot control is inherently dangerous.
The urgency of the remedy is striking. The teacher does not say "consider your options" but לֵךְ הִתְרַפֵּס וּרְהַב רֵעֶיךָ — "go, throw yourself down, and press your neighbor." The verb הִתְרַפֵּס occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible and is debated. It likely means "to trample oneself," that is, to humble oneself to the point of self-abasement. The parallel verb רְהַב means "to storm, to press urgently" — an almost contradictory image of prostration and aggressive pleading combined. The point is stark: do whatever it takes, with no dignity spared, to extricate yourself.
The animal imagery of verse 5 — a gazelle (צְבִי) escaping from the hunter's hand, a bird (צִפּוֹר) from the fowler's snare — conveys both the desperation and the possibility of escape. The debtor is compared to a trapped animal, and the only appropriate response is immediate, desperate flight. The word for "fowler" is יָקוּשׁ, literally "one who lays snares," emphasizing that the surety agreement is a kind of trap.
The Ant and the Sluggard (vv. 6-11)
6 Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. 7 Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, 8 it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; observe her ways and grow wise. 7 She has no commander, no overseer, and no ruler, 8 yet she prepares her food in summer and gathers her provision at harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down — 11 and your poverty will come like a prowler, and your want like an armed man.
Notes
The teacher now turns from the financially reckless to the chronically lazy, addressing the עָצֵל ("sluggard" or "slacker"). This word appears fourteen times in Proverbs and nowhere else in the Old Testament — it is a distinctly wisdom-literature term for the person whose fundamental problem is not inability but unwillingness. The sluggard is a recurring comic and cautionary figure in the book (see Proverbs 26:13-16 for a satirical portrait).
The instruction to go to the נְמָלָה ("ant") is a well-known observation from the natural world. Ancient Israelite wisdom, like its Egyptian and Mesopotamian counterparts, drew moral lessons from the animal world (see also Proverbs 30:24-28, where the ant appears among four creatures that are "small but exceedingly wise"). The ant's three distinguishing qualities are self-governance (no commander, overseer, or ruler), foresight (preparing in summer for winter), and diligence (gathering at harvest). The implicit rebuke is sharp: a creature with no rational mind and no external authority manages what the sluggard, who possesses both, cannot.
Verses 10-11 are repeated almost verbatim in Proverbs 24:33-34, suggesting they may have circulated as an independent proverb. The threefold repetition of מְעַט ("a little") captures the self-deception of the lazy person: each delay seems trivial — just a little more sleep, a little more rest — but the cumulative effect is catastrophic. The image of poverty arriving כִמְהַלֵּךְ ("like one who walks/prowls") and want like an אִישׁ מָגֵן ("armed man" or "man with a shield") portrays destitution as an assailant who comes suddenly and irresistibly. The sluggard did not choose poverty; poverty chose him — but his inaction gave it an open door.
The Worthless Troublemaker (vv. 12-15)
12 A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth, 13 winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers. 14 With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord. 15 Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond recovery.
12 A worthless person, a man of wickedness, goes about with a crooked mouth, 13 winking with his eyes, scraping with his feet, pointing with his fingers. 14 Perversity fills his heart; he plots evil at all times; he sends out strife. 15 Therefore his disaster will come suddenly; in an instant he will be broken, and there will be no healing.
Notes
The phrase אָדָם בְּלִיַּעַל ("a worthless person") uses a term that has a long and significant history in the Hebrew Bible. בְּלִיַּעַל is traditionally parsed as a compound of "without" (b'li) and "profit" (ya'al), meaning "worthlessness" or "uselessness." In the Old Testament, "sons of Belial" are the worst kinds of troublemakers — the men of Gibeah who commit atrocity in Judges 19:22, the corrupt sons of Eli in 1 Samuel 2:12, and those who bring false witness (1 Kings 21:10). By the Second Temple period, "Belial" had become a proper name for a demonic figure opposed to God (as in Paul's use in 2 Corinthians 6:15).
The portrait in verses 12-14 is a study in body language as moral indicator. Every part of this person's body is enlisted in deception: the עִקְּשׁוּת פֶּה ("crookedness of mouth") refers to twisted, distorted speech; the winking eyes suggest conspiratorial signals; the scraping or shuffling feet and the pointing fingers indicate covert communication and scheming. The Hebrew verb מֹלֵל in verse 13, rendered "speaking with his feet," is rare and may refer to shuffling or signaling with the feet. The overall image is of someone whose entire physical presence is a lie — a person who has weaponized his body for deception.
The word תַּהְפֻּכוֹת ("perversity" or "things turned upside down") in verse 14 comes from the root meaning "to overturn." This man's heart is full of inversions: he reverses truth and falsehood, right and wrong. The verb יְשַׁלֵּחַ ("he sends out") portrays discord as something actively dispatched, like an emissary or a weapon. This is not passive troublemaking but deliberate, strategic sowing of conflict — the same word מִדְיָנִים ("strife, contention") that appears in verse 19.
The judgment in verse 15 mirrors the suddenness of the troublemaker's schemes: פִּתְאֹם ("suddenly") his disaster arrives, and פֶּתַע ("in an instant") he is shattered. The phrase וְאֵין מַרְפֵּא ("and there is no healing") signals irreversible destruction. In Proverbs, the consequences of folly are not always gradual; sometimes the accumulated weight of wickedness collapses all at once.
Seven Things the LORD Hates (vv. 16-19)
16 There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil, 19 a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
16 There are six things the LORD hates, and seven that are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; 18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run toward evil, 19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sends out strife among brothers.
Notes
This is a graded numerical saying (X / X+1), a rhetorical pattern well attested in ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature and throughout the Hebrew Bible (Amos 1:3, Job 5:19, Proverbs 30:15-31). The pattern "six ... seven" does not mean God hates only six things and the seventh is worse; rather, the device builds anticipation and signals completeness. The final item in the list — the one who sows discord among brothers — receives the climactic emphasis.
The word תּוֹעֲבַת ("abomination of") is stronger than simple hatred; it denotes something that provokes visceral revulsion. In the Torah, the same word describes idolatry, sexual perversion, and dishonest commerce — the things that fundamentally violate the created moral order. The phrase תּוֹעֲבַת נַפְשׁוֹ ("an abomination of his soul/being") is deeply anthropomorphic, attributing to God a personal, inward loathing.
The list moves through the body from top to bottom — eyes, tongue, hands, heart, feet — before culminating in two social behaviors (false witness and sowing discord). The עֵינַיִם רָמוֹת ("haughty eyes") literally means "eyes that are raised up," signaling pride and contempt. The לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר ("tongue of falsehood") identifies deceptive speech. These are followed by violence (hands shedding innocent blood), corrupt imagination (a heart devising wicked plans), and eagerness for wrongdoing (feet rushing toward evil).
The list closely parallels the portrait of the troublemaker in verses 12-14, suggesting that the two passages are deliberately paired. The worthless person of verse 12 embodies exactly what the LORD hates: crooked speech (lying tongue), deceptive gestures (haughty eyes), scheming heart, and sowing discord. The numerical saying thus provides the theological verdict on the character type described in the preceding verses.
The climactic seventh item — וּמְשַׁלֵּחַ מְדָנִים בֵּין אַחִים ("one who sends out strife among brothers") — reveals what God finds most detestable: the deliberate destruction of community. The word אַחִים ("brothers") can mean biological siblings or fellow members of the covenant community. Either way, the person who tears apart relationships that should be bonds of loyalty commits what is, in the LORD's eyes, the crowning abomination.
Warning Against Adultery (vv. 20-35)
20 My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching. 21 Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you. 23 For this commandment is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way to life, 24 to keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. 25 Do not lust in your heart for her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes. 26 For the levy of the prostitute is poverty, and the adulteress preys upon your very life. 27 Can a man embrace fire and his clothes not be burned? 28 Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet? 29 So is he who sleeps with another man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. 30 Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger. 31 Yet if caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give up all the wealth of his house. 32 He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. 33 Wounds and dishonor will befall him, and his reproach will never be wiped away. 34 For jealousy enrages a husband, and he will show no mercy in the day of vengeance. 35 He will not be appeased by any ransom, or persuaded by lavish gifts.
20 Guard, my son, your father's commandment, and do not abandon your mother's teaching. 21 Bind them upon your heart continually; tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk about, it will lead you; when you lie down, it will watch over you; and when you wake, it will talk with you. 23 For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way of life — 24 to guard you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the foreign woman. 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelids. 26 For on account of a prostitute a man is reduced to a loaf of bread, but another man's wife hunts for a precious life. 27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap and his clothes not be burned? 28 Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? 29 So is the man who goes in to his neighbor's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. 30 People do not despise a thief when he steals to fill his stomach because he is hungry. 31 But if he is caught, he must repay sevenfold; he must give all the wealth of his house. 32 He who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. 33 He will find blows and disgrace, and his reproach will not be wiped away. 34 For jealousy is the fury of a husband, and he will not show restraint on the day of vengeance. 35 He will not accept any ransom, nor be willing though you multiply the bribe.
Notes
Verses 20-23 form a prologue that reestablishes the framework of parental instruction before the adultery warning. The language echoes Deuteronomy 6:6-8, where Israel is commanded to bind the words of the Torah upon the heart and tie them as a sign — the same verbs קָשַׁר ("to bind") and עָנַד ("to tie") appear here. The teacher deliberately connects household wisdom with the covenant commands of Sinai: parental teaching participates in the authority of Torah itself.
Verse 23 contains a key metaphor: נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר — "the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is a light." This pairs naturally with Psalm 119:105 ("Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"). The image of light as moral guidance runs through the entire biblical tradition. The תּוֹכְחוֹת מוּסָר ("corrections of discipline") are the reproofs and rebukes that keep a person on the illuminated path — painful but life-giving.
Verse 24 identifies the purpose of all this parental instruction: protection from אֵשֶׁת רָע ("the evil woman") and from the חֶלְקַת לָשׁוֹן נָכְרִיָּה ("smooth tongue of the foreign woman"). The word נָכְרִיָּה ("foreign woman") has been much debated. It may refer to an actual foreigner, an outsider to the covenant community, or it may simply mean "another man's wife" — someone foreign to you in the sense of being off-limits. In either case, the "smoothness" (חֶלְקַת) of her tongue is the key danger: her words are slippery and seductive, the opposite of the straightforward speech that wisdom demands.
Verse 26 is difficult in Hebrew. Some translations render this as "the levy of the prostitute is poverty," but the Hebrew reads more literally: "for on account of a prostitute, [a man is brought] to a loaf of bread, but a man's wife hunts a precious life." The verse draws a grim contrast: a prostitute will reduce you to poverty (a mere loaf of bread), but an adulteress — another man's wife — will cost you something far more valuable: your very נֶפֶשׁ יְקָרָה ("precious life"). The escalation is deliberate: the stakes of adultery are higher than those of mere prostitution, devastating as both are.
The two rhetorical questions in verses 27-28 are drawn from common experience, but their logic cuts deep. Fire in the lap and coals under the feet are not merely metaphors for punishment — they express the inherent, inevitable nature of the consequences. Adultery is not dangerous because it might be discovered; it is destructive by nature, as surely as fire burns. The questions expect the obvious answer, making the application in verse 29 inescapable.
The comparison with theft in verses 30-31 is striking. A thief who steals from hunger receives some sympathy — people understand desperation — yet even he must pay שִׁבְעָתָיִם ("sevenfold"), a number that in Hebrew idiom means full and complete restitution, not necessarily a literal seven times (compare the penalty formulations in Exodus 22:1-4). The implied argument is devastating: if even a sympathetic crime demands total restitution, how much worse for adultery, which has no sympathetic motive and for which no restitution is possible?
Verse 32 delivers the theological verdict: חֲסַר לֵב — literally "lacking heart." In Hebrew anthropology, the לֵב ("heart") is not the seat of emotion but of understanding, will, and moral judgment. To lack heart is to lack the very organ of wisdom. The adulterer is not overcome by irresistible passion; he is deficient in the faculty that makes a person fully human. The result — "he destroys himself" (מַשְׁחִית נַפְשׁוֹ) — uses the same verb applied to the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 19:13) and to the corruption of the earth before the Flood (Genesis 6:12).
Verses 34-35 close the warning with an unflinching portrait of the wronged husband's fury. קִנְאָה ("jealousy") here is not petty envy but the fierce protective rage of one whose most intimate bond has been violated. The word is used of God's own jealousy for his people (Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 4:24). The husband will not accept כֹּפֶר ("ransom") — the same word used for the redemption price paid to avoid the death penalty in cases of accidental killing (Exodus 21:30). No amount of שֹׁחַד ("bribe") will satisfy him. The passage ends without resolution, leaving the reader with the stark reality that adultery opens a wound that no payment can close.