Proverbs 6

1 My son, if you have made yourself responsible for your neighbour, or given your word for another,

2 You are taken as in a net by the words of your mouth, the sayings of your lips have overcome you.

3 Do this, my son, and make yourself free, because you have come into the power of your neighbour; go without waiting, and make a strong request to your neighbour.

4 Give no sleep to your eyes, or rest to them;

5 Make yourself free, like the roe from the hand of the archer, and the bird from him who puts a net for her.

6 Go to the ant, you hater of work; give thought to her ways and be wise:

7 Having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

8 She gets her meat in the summer, storing up food at the time of the grain-cutting.

9 How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little rest, a little folding of the hands in sleep:

11 Then loss will come on you like an outlaw, and your need like an armed man

12 A good-for-nothing man is an evil-doer; he goes on his way causing trouble with false words;

13 Making signs with his eyes, rubbing with his feet, and giving news with his fingers;

14 His mind is ever designing evil: he lets loose violent acts.

15 For this cause his downfall will be sudden; quickly he will be broken, and there will be no help for him.

16 Six things are hated by the Lord; seven things are disgusting to him:

17 Eyes of pride, a false tongue, hands which take life without cause;

18 A heart full of evil designs, feet which are quick in running after sin;

19 A false witness, breathing out untrue words, and one who lets loose violent acts among brothers.

20 My son, keep the rule of your father, and have in memory the teaching of your mother:

21 Keep them ever folded in your heart, and have them hanging round your neck.

22 In your walking, it will be your guide; when you are sleeping, it will keep watch over you; when you are awake, it will have talk with you.

23 For the rule is a light, and the teaching a shining light; and the guiding words of training are the way of life.

24 They will keep you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the strange woman.

25 Let not your heart's desire go after her fair body; let not her eyes take you prisoner.

26 For a loose woman is looking for a cake of bread, but another man's wife goes after one's very life.

27 May a man take fire to his breast without burning his clothing?

28 Or may one go on lighted coals, and his feet not be burned?

29 So it is with him who goes in to his neighbour's wife; he who has anything to do with her will not go free from punishment.

30 Men do not have a low opinion of a thief who takes food when he is in need of it:

31 But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house.

32 He who takes another man's wife is without all sense: he who does it is the cause of destruction to his soul.

33 Wounds will be his and loss of honour, and his shame may not be washed away.

34 For bitter is the wrath of an angry husband; in the day of punishment he will have no mercy.

35 He will not take any payment; and he will not make peace with you though your money offerings are increased.

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Proverbs 6 Commentary

Chapter 6

Cautions against rash suretiship. (1-5) A rebuke to slothfulness. (6-11) Seven things hateful to God. (12-19) Exhortations to walk according to God's commandments. (20-35)

Verses 1-5 If we live as directed by the word of God, we shall find it profitable even in this present world. We are stewards of our worldly substance, and have to answer to the Lord for our disposal of it; to waste it in rash schemes, or such plans as may entangle us in difficulties and temptations, is wrong. A man ought never to be surety for more than he is able and willing to pay, and can afford to pay, without wronging his family; he ought to look upon every sum he is engaged for, as his own debt. If we must take all this care to get our debts to men forgiven, much more to obtain forgiveness with God. Humble thyself to him, make sure of Christ as thy Friend, to plead for thee; pray earnestly that thy sins may be pardoned, and that thou mayest be kept from going down to the pit.

Verses 6-11 Diligence in business is every man's wisdom and duty; not so much that he may attain worldly wealth, as that he may not be a burden to others, or a scandal to the church. The ants are more diligent than slothful men. We may learn wisdom from the meanest insects, and be shamed by them. Habits of indolence and indulgence grow upon people. Thus life runs to waste; and poverty, though at first at a distance, gradually draws near, like a traveller; and when it arrives, is like an armed man, too strong to be resisted. All this may be applied to the concerns of our souls. How many love their sleep of sin, and their dreams of worldly happiness! Shall we not seek to awaken such? Shall we not give diligence to secure our own salvation?

Verses 12-19 If the slothful are to be condemned, who do nothing, much more those that do all the ill they can. Observe how such a man is described. He says and does every thing artfully, and with design. His ruin shall come without warning, and without relief. Here is a list of things hateful to God. Those sins are in a special manner provoking to God, which are hurtful to the comfort of human life. These things which God hates, we must hate in ourselves; it is nothing to hate them in others. Let us shun all such practices, and watch and pray against them; and avoid, with marked disapproval, all who are guilty of them, whatever may be their rank.

Verses 20-35 The word of God has something to say to us upon all occasions. Let not faithful reproofs ever make us uneasy. When we consider how much this sin abounds, how heinous adultery is in its own nature, of what evil consequence it is, and how certainly it destroys the spiritual life in the soul, we shall not wonder that the cautions against it are so often repeated. Let us notice the subjects of this chapter. Let us remember Him who willingly became our Surety, when we were strangers and enemies. And shall Christians, who have such prospects, motives, and examples, be slothful and careless? Shall we neglect what is pleasing to God, and what he will graciously reward? May we closely watch every sense by which poison can enter our minds or affections.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 6

In this chapter the wise man dissuades from rash suretyship; exposes the sin of idleness; describes a wicked man; makes mention of seven things hateful to God; exhorts to attend to parental instructions and precepts, and cautions against adultery. Suretyship is described, Pr 6:1; and represented as a snare and a net, in which men are taken, Pr 6:2; and advice is given what to do in such a case, for safety in it, and deliverance from it, Pr 6:3-5; The sin of slothfulness is exposed, by observing the industry of the ant, Pr 6:6-8; by expostulating with the sluggard for his continuance in sloth, and by mimicking him, Pr 6:9,10; and by the poverty it brings upon him, Pr 6:11. Then a naughty wicked man is described, by his mouth, eyes, feet, fingers, and heart, whose ruin is sudden and inevitable, Pr 6:11-15. The seven things hateful to God are particularly named, Pr 6:16-19. And next the exhortation in some preceding chapters is reassumed, to attend to the instructions of parents; which will be found ornamental, pleasant, and useful, Pr 6:20-23. Especially to preserve from the lewd woman cautioned against, Pr 6:24,25; whose company is dissuaded from; on account of the extreme poverty and distress she brings persons to, and even danger of life, Pr 6:26; from the unavoidable ruin such come into, Pr 6:27-29; from the sin of uncleanness being greater than that of theft, Pr 6:30,31; from the folly the adulterer betrays; from the destruction of his soul, and the disgrace he brings on himself, Pr 6:32,33; and from the rage and irreconcilable offence of the husband of the adulteress, Pr 6:34,35.