1My son, if you are surety for your friend, if you have struck your hands with a stranger, 2you are snared with the words of your mouth; you are captured with the words of your mouth. 3My son, do this then, and deliver yourself when you come into the hand of your friend: go humble yourself and entreat your friend. 4Do not give sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. 5Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. 6Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise; 7who, having no commander, overseer or ruler, 8provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. 9How long will you rest, O sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? 10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; 11so shall your poverty come as one walking, and your need like an armed man. 12A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth, 13winking with his eyes, speaking with his feet, pointing with his fingers. 14Perversity is in his heart, he devises evil all the time, he spreads strife. 15Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; he shall be broken in an instant without remedy. 16These six things Jehovah hates; yea, seven are an abomination to his soul: 17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18a heart that devises evil plans, feet hurrying to run to evil, 19a false witness who breathes lies, and he who spreads strife among brothers. 20My son, keep your father's commands, and do not forsake the instruction of your mother. 21Bind them perpetually to your heart; tie them around your neck. 22When you go, it shall lead you; when you sleep, it shall watch over you; and when you awake, it will speak with you. 23For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life, 24to keep you from the evil woman, from the seductiveness of the foreign tongue. 25Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, and do not let her captivate you with her eyelids. 26For on account of a promiscuous woman, a man comes to a loaf of bread; for the man's wife hunts for the precious soul. 27Can a man take fire into his bosom and his clothes not be burned? 28Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? 29So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent. 30They do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy his soul when he is hungry. 31But if he is found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the wealth of his house. 32He who commits adultery with a woman lacks heart; he who does so destroys his own soul. 33Wounds and dishonor shall befall him, and his reproach shall not be wiped away. 34For jealousy is the rage of a man, and he will not spare in the day of vengeance. 35He will not regard any bribes, nor will he yield to the giving of many gifts.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 After admonitions against suretyship and sloth (compare
Pro 6:6-
Pro 6:8), the character and fate of the wicked generally are set forth, and the writer (Pro. 6:20-35) resumes the warnings against incontinence, pointing out its certain and terrible results. This train of thought seems to intimate the kindred of these vices. (Pro. 6:1-35)
if--The condition extends through both verses.
be surety--art pledged.
stricken . . . hand--bargained (compare
Job 17:3).
with a stranger--that is, for a friend (compare
Pro 11:15;
Pro 17:18).
3 come . . . friend--in his power.
humble . . . sure thy friend--urge as a suppliant; that is, induce the friend to provide otherwise for his debt, or secure the surety.
4 The danger requires promptness.
6 The improvident sluggards usually want sureties. Hence, such are advised to industry by the ant's example.
9 Their conduct graphically described;
11 and the fruits of their self-indulgence and indolence presented.
as . . . travelleth--literally, "one who walks backwards and forwards," that is, a highwayman.
armed man--that is, one prepared to destroy.
12 A naughty person--literally, "A man of Belial," or of worthlessness, that is, for good, and so depraved, or wicked (compare
1Sam 25:25;
1Sam 30:22, &c.). Idleness and vice are allied. Though indolent in acts, he actively and habitually (walketh) is ill-natured in speech (
Pro 4:24).
13 If, for fear of detection, he does not speak, he uses signs to carry on his intrigues. These signs are still so used in the East.
14 Frowardness--as in
Pro 2:14.
deviseth--literally, "constructs, as an artisan."
mischief--evil to others.
discord--especially litigation. Cunning is the talent of the weak and lazy.
15 Suddenness aggravates evil (compare
Pro 6:11;
Pro 29:1).
calamity--literally, "a crushing weight."
broken--shivered as a potter's vessel; utterly destroyed (
Ps 2:9).
16 six . . . seven--a mode of speaking to arrest attention (
Pro 30:15,
Pro 30:18;
Job 5:19).
17 proud look--literally, "eyes of loftiness" (
Ps 131:1). Eyes, tongue, &c., for persons.
19 speaketh--literally, "breathes out," habitually speaks (
Ps 27:12;
Acts 9:1).
20 (Compare
Pro 1:8;
Pro 3:3, &c.).
22 it--(compare
Pro 6:23); denotes the instruction of parents (
Pro 6:20), to which all the qualities of a safe guide and guard and ready teacher are ascribed. It prevents the ingress of evil by supplying good thoughts, even in dreams (
Pro 3:21-
Pro 3:23;
Ps 19:9;
2Pet 1:19).
23 reproofs-- (
Pro 1:23) the convictions of error produced by instruction.
24 A specimen of its benefit. By appreciating truth, men are not affected by lying flattery.
25 One of the cautions of this instruction, avoid alluring beauty.
take--or, "ensnare."
eyelids--By painting the lashes, women enhanced beauty.
26 The supplied words give a better sense than the old version: "The price of a whore is a piece of bread."
adulteress--(Compare Margin), which the parallel and context (
Pro 6:29-
Pro 6:35) sustain. Of similar results of this sin, compare
Pro 5:9-
Pro 5:12.
will hunt--alluding to the snares spread by harlots (compare
Pro 7:6-
Pro 7:8).
precious life--more valuable than all else.
27 The guilt and danger most obvious.
30 Such a thief is pitied, though heavily punished.
31 sevenfold--(compare
Exod 22:1-
Exod 22:4), for many, ample (compare
Gen 4:24;
Matt 18:21), even if all his wealth is taken.
32 lacketh understanding--or, "heart"; destitute of moral principle and prudence.
33 dishonour--or, "shame," as well as hurt of body (
Pro 3:35).
reproach . . . away--No restitution will suffice;
34 nor any terms of reconciliation be admitted.
regard--or, "accept" any ransom.