Proverbs 6:9 — Word Study
WLCעַד־ מָתַ֖י עָצֵ֥ל׀ תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב מָ֝תַ֗י תָּק֥וּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃
BSAHowmâthay longʻad [till when, for how much longer] will you lie thereshâkab▸ [sleep, be idle] O slackerʻâtsêl [sluggard, hater of work, lazy loafer] Whenmâthay [at what time, how soon] will you get upqûwm▸ [rise, stand up, arise] from your sleepshênâh [rest, idleness, slothfulness]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| עַד־ | until | Preposition |
| מָתַ֖י | when? | Particle |
| עָצֵ֥ל׀ | O sluggard | Adj |
| תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב | will you lie down | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| מָ֝תַ֗י | when? | Particle |
| תָּק֥וּם | will you rise | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃ | from sleep your | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? |
| KJV | How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? |
| ASV | How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? |
| YLT | Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep? |
| WEB | How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? |
| BBE | How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep? |
Where they part company is עָצֵ֥ל — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by an interrogative phrase, emphasizing the urgency of the questions posed.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbשָׁכַב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Proverbs 6:9
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Warning Against Lazinessgenerated
Proverbs 6:9 is part of a series of admonitions that highlight the dangers of laziness. The speaker urges the sluggard to consider their idle state and the consequences that come from it. This verse follows a comparison to the ant in Proverbs 6:6, which prepares provisions and acts diligently, contrasting with the sluggard's inactivity.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proverbs 1:22 | “How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge? |
| 2 | Proverbs 24:33–34 | A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, |
| 3 | Jeremiah 4:14 | Wash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you? |
| 4 | Psalm 94:8 | Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise? |
| 5 | John 1:6 | There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עָצֵ֥ל, 'a.Tzelgenerated
The Hebrew word עָצֵ֥ל ('a.Tzel) is an adjective that describes someone who is habitually lazy or idle. It is derived from the root that indicates slothfulness. In this verse, it directly addresses the sluggard, emphasizing their unwillingness to act.
This term is significant as it encapsulates the character of the person being addressed, serving as a warning against the consequences of such behavior. The usage here highlights the moral lesson that laziness leads to negative outcomes.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses O slacker to translate עָצֵ֥ל. Other translations like the KJV and ASV also use o sluggard, maintaining the same meaning.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב (will you lie down) and תָּק֥וּם (will you rise) govern the main clauses of the verse. The structure emphasizes the sluggard's inactivity and the urgency of the questions posed.
The order of the clauses places the questions about laziness at the forefront, highlighting the speaker's challenge to the sluggard's state.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the word for sluggard is rendered as ὀκνηρέ (oknērē), which conveys a sense of reluctance or laziness. This choice reflects a broader interpretation of the Hebrew term, emphasizing not just idleness but also an aversion to work.
This translation choice shows a slight widening of meaning, as it captures the emotional state of the sluggard, not just their physical inactivity.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Proverbs 6:9 challenges the lazy person, asking how long they will continue to lie idle and when they will finally get up. It warns that such idleness can lead to negative consequences, urging action instead.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
A sluggard is someone who is habitually lazy or idle, often avoiding work and responsibility.
Laziness is warned against because it can lead to poverty and missed opportunities, as illustrated in the surrounding verses.
The ant is presented as a model of diligence and preparation, contrasting sharply with the sluggard's idleness.
The questions serve to provoke thought and self-reflection in the sluggard, urging them to reconsider their choices and actions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life am I being lazy or idle, and how can I address that?
- How can I cultivate a habit of diligence and hard work, similar to the ant in Proverbs?
- What are the consequences of laziness that I have observed in my own experiences?
- How can I encourage others to take action against laziness in a supportive way?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse highlights the moral lessons against slothfulness, as seen in the works of Bede, who reflects on the dangers of idleness.
How long, sluggard, will you sleep? etc. How long will you sleep in vices when you can rise to do well, you who, weighed down by noxious sloth, always say, "Let me still lie a little,Early Church Fathers on Proverbs 6 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Proverbs 6:9 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHow long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?.... Or "lie" (q) in bed, indulging in sloth and ease; while the industrious ant is busy in getting in its provisions, even by moonlight, as naturalists (r)
Read John Gill on Proverbs 6 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHow long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? How long wilt thou sleep (literally, lie), O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Read Robert Jamieson on Proverbs 6 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHow long wilt thou sleep? when the ants are watchful and labour, not only in the day time, but even by night, when the moon shineth.
Read Matthew Poole on Proverbs 6 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsProverbs 6:9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?Ver. 9. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?] The ear, we say, is first up in a morning: call a sleeping man by his name, and he will sooner awake and answer to it than to anything else. The wise man therefore thus deals with the sluggard, that he may go forth and shake him, as Samson, not giving way to excessive sleep, which comes as a publican, saith Plutarch, and takes away a third part of our lives at least. Pliny said to his nephew, when he saw him walk out some hours without studying, Poteras has horas non perdere, you might have put these hours to better uses. May not the same be said to the…
Read John Trapp on Proverbs 6 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and CollegesTwelfth Address. Chap. 6. Proverbs 6:6-11. The Sluggard6–11. Comp. on this Section Proverbs 24:30-34.
Read Cambridge on Proverbs 6 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible9-11. How long wilt thou sleep — As in Proverbs 6:6-8 the instructor had sought to incite his pupil to wise forethought and providence by the example of the ant, so here he seeks to guard him against
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Proverbs 6 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?
How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
How long, you sluggard, will you lie there? When will you rise from your sleep?
Tyndale line
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Howe long wilt thou sleepe, O sluggarde? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleepe?
Strictly literal
How long, sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
Till when, O slothful one, dost thou lie? When dost thou arise from thy sleep?
Until when, O slothful one, do you lie? When do you arise from your sleep?
How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie down? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?
How long will you sleep, you lazy person? When will you rise from your sleep?
From the Latin
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou rise out of thy sleep?
Simplified
So how long are you going to lie there, you slacker? When are you going to get up from your sleep?
How long will you be sleeping, O hater of work? when will you get up from your sleep?
Word by word, the decisions they made
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree on the core message of the verse, though the Septuagint presents the words in a different order. The Hebrew text clearly addresses the sluggard, while the Greek translation captures the same essence with slight variations.
עַד־ מָתַ֖י עָצֵ֥ל׀ תִּשְׁכָּ֑ב מָ֝תַ֗י תָּק֥וּם מִשְּׁנָתֶֽךָ׃
4 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Proverbs 6:9
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עַד (ad) primarily functions as a preposition, adverb, or conjunction meaning 'until,' 'up to,' or 'as far as.' It can denote spatial, temporal, or degree-related contexts, such as 'even to' or 'while.' The entries indicate its use in poetry and in various combinations, but there is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי prep. as far as, even to, up to, until, while
prep.
of space
Of time
Of degree
conj.
until
While
Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)
עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus
of space
Of time
Of degree
base
H5704 עַד, in poetry עֲדֵי as far as, even to, up to, until, while . prep. . of space
. Of time
. Of degree
. conj. . until
. While
. Of degree, to the point that, so that even (rare)
. עַד לְ, a strengthened form for עַד. Thus . of space
. Of time
. Of degree
5704 `ad ad
properly, the same as 5703 (used as a preposition, adverb or
conjunction; especially with a preposition); as far (or long,
or much) as, whether of space (even unto) or time (during,
while, until) or degree (equally with):--against, and, as,
at, before, by (that), even (to), for(-asmuch as),
(hither-)to, + how long, into, as long (much) as, (so) that,
till, toward, until, when, while, (+ as) yet.
see HEBREW for 05703
עַד (ad) — till.
prep
1) as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as
1a) of space
1a1) as far as, up to, even to
1b) in combination
1b1) from...as far as, both...and (with 'min' -from)
1c) of time
1c1) even to, until, unto, till, during, end
1d) of degree
1d1) even to, to the degree of, even like
conj
2) until, while, to the point that, so that even
Aramaic equivalent: ad (עַד "till" H5705)
Prep — PrepositionHR
מָתַי (mathay) is an adverb meaning 'when?' It is derived from an unused root that suggests extension, particularly in relation to time. The word is used interrogatively to ask about timeframes, such as 'how long?' or 'until when?'. It appears in contexts that require a temporal inquiry.
מָתַי 43 interrog.adv. when?
base
H4970 מָתַי when?
4970 mathay maw-thah'ee
from an unused root meaning to extend; properly, extent (of
time); but used only adverbially (especially with other
particle prefixes), when (either relative or
interrogative):--long, when.
מָתַי (ma.tay) — how.
1) when?
1a) with prep
1a1) against when?, until when?, how long?, after how long?
Part — ParticleHTi
עָצֵל (atsel) refers to a state of being indolent or lazy, often describing a sluggard. It is derived from the root word for slothfulness and is used in various contexts to denote sluggishness.
עָצֵל 14 adj. sluggish, lazy
base
H6102 עָצֵל
6102 `atsel aw-tsale'
from 6101; indolent:--slothful, sluggard.
see HEBREW for 06101
עָצֵל (a.tsel) — sluggish.
1) sluggish, lazy
1a) sluggard (subst)
Adj — AdjHAamsa
slug'-ard: Found only in the Old Testament, and there only in Proverbs. It is the rendering given the word 'atsel everywhere in the Revised Version (British and American), but in the King James Version only in Pr 6:6,9; 10:26; 13:4; 20:4; 26:16 (elsewhere the King James Version translates by "slothful"). The root meaning of ['atsel] is "to be sluggish," "stupid." The English word "slug" is said to be "allied to slack" (Webster).
→ (A very lazy person)
→ See IDLENESS
The Hebrew word שָׁכַב (shakab) is a primitive root meaning 'to lie down.' It covers a range of meanings including resting, lodging, engaging in sexual relations, and lying down in death. The word appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niphal, Pual, Hiphil, and Hophal, indicating different nuances of lying down. Notably, it can also figuratively mean to relax.
שָׁכַב 212 vb. lie down
Qal
lie down
= lodge (for night)
of sexual relations, lie with
lie down in death
esp. in phr. lie down with his fathers
fig. = relax
Niph. Pu. = be lain with (sexually; subj. women), only as Qr for Kt [שָׁגֵל] Niph. Pu. q.v.
Hiph. lay
Hoph. laid
base
H7901 שָׁכַב lie down .. lie down
. = lodge (for night)
. of sexual relations, lie with
. . lie down in death
. esp. in phr. lie down with his fathers
. fig. = relax
. Pu. = be lain with (sexually; subj. women), only as Qr for Kt [שָׁגֵל] Niph. Pu. q.v.
. lay
. laid
7901 shakab shaw-kab'
a primitive root; to lie down (for rest, sexual connection,
decease or any other purpose):--X at all, cast down,
((lover-))lay (self) (down), (make to) lie (down, down to
sleep, still with), lodge, ravish, take rest, sleep, stay.
שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: lay down.
: lay_down/lie_with
1) to lie down
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on
1a2) to lodge
1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)
1a4) to lie down (in death)
1a5) to rest, relax (fig)
1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually)
1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually)
1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down
1e) (Hophal) to be laid
שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: sleep.
: sleep/rest
1) to lie down
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on
1a2) to lodge
1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)
1a4) to lie down (in death)
1a5) to rest, relax (fig)
1b) (Niphal) to be lain with (sexually)
1c) (Pual) to be lain with (sexually)
1d) (Hiphil) to make to lie down
1e) (Hophal) to be laid
שָׁכַב (sha.khav) — to lie down: have sex.
: have_sex
1) to lie down
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lie, lie down, lie on
1a2) to lodge
1a3) to lie (of sexual relations)
1a4) to lie down (in death)
1a5) to rest, relax (fig)
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
מָתַי (mathay) is an adverb meaning 'when?' It is derived from an unused root that suggests extension, particularly in relation to time. The word is used interrogatively to ask about timeframes, such as 'how long?' or 'until when?'. It appears in contexts that require a temporal inquiry.
מָתַי 43 interrog.adv. when?
base
H4970 מָתַי when?
4970 mathay maw-thah'ee
from an unused root meaning to extend; properly, extent (of
time); but used only adverbially (especially with other
particle prefixes), when (either relative or
interrogative):--long, when.
מָתַי (ma.tay) — how.
1) when?
1a) with prep
1a1) against when?, until when?, how long?, after how long?
Part — ParticleHTi
The Hebrew word קוּם (qum) is a primitive root meaning 'to rise' and encompasses a range of actions such as standing, becoming powerful, and establishing. It can imply a sudden or hostile rise, as well as the act of fulfilling or confirming something. The entries also note various grammatical forms, indicating its use in different contexts, including raising up or causing to stand.
לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash Je 51:1.
ref
קוּם 628 vb. arise, stand up, stand
Qal 460
arise
arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)
arise, abs., = become powerful
arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet
arise for, i.e. to become
arise for action
arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed
esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere
stand
Pi.
fulfil
confirm, ratify
confirm, establish
impose, an obligation
Pō‛l. raise up
Hithpō‛l. raise oneself, = rise up
Hiph.
146cause to arise, raise
raise, set up, stones
erect, build
fig, of setting up law
raise up = bring on the scene
raise up = rouse, stir up
instigate, build
fig, of setting up law
raise up = constitute
cause to stand
Hoph. be raised up
base
H6965a לֵב קָמָי prob. late Atbash H6965b קוּם arise, stand up, stand .. arise
. arise, in hostile sense (oft. with idea of suddenness)
. arise, abs., = become powerful
. arise = come on the scene, appear, of leader, prophet
. arise for, i.e. to become
. . arise for action
. arise (out of inaction), introducing some specific deed
. esp. arise = start, make a move, to go somewhere
. stand
. . fulfil
. . confirm, ratify
. confirm, establish
. impose, an obligation
. raise up
. raise oneself, = rise up
. . cause to arise, raise
. . raise, set up, stones
. erect, build
. fig, of setting up law
. raise up = bring on the scene
. . raise up = rouse, stir up
. instigate, build
. fig, of setting up law
. raise up = constitute
. cause to stand
. be raised up
6965 quwm koom
a primitive root; to rise (in various applications, literal,
figurative, intensive and causative):--abide, accomplish, X
be clearer, confirm, continue, decree, X be dim, endure, X
enemy, enjoin, get up, make good, help, hold, (help to) lift
up (again), make, X but newly, ordain, perform, pitch, raise
(up), rear (up), remain, (a-)rise (up) (again, against), rouse
up, set (up), (e-)stablish, (make to) stand (up), stir up,
strengthen, succeed, (as-, make) sure(-ly), (be) up(-hold, -
rising).
קָמָי (qa.may) — (Leb)-kamai.
Combined with lev (לֵב "Leb" H3820B)
§ -Kamai = "my adversary"
Leb-kamai, i.e., people of Gambulai
קוּם (qum) — to arise: rise.
: rise/get_going
1) to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to arise
1a2) to arise (hostile sense)
1a3) to arise, become powerful
1a4) to arise, come on the scene
1a5) to stand
1a5a) to maintain oneself
1a5b) to be established, be confirmed
1a5c) to stand, endure
1a5d) to be fixed
1a5e) to be valid
1a5f) to be proven
1a5g) to be fulfilled
1a5h) to persist
1a5i) to be set, be fixed
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to fulfil
1b2) to confirm, ratify, establish, impose
1c) (Polel) to raise up
1d) (Hithpael) to raise oneself, rise up
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to cause to arise, raise
1e2) to raise, set up, erect, build
1e3) to raise up, bring on the scene
1e4) to raise up, rouse, stir up, investigate
1e5) to raise up, constitute
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
The Hebrew word שֵׁנָה, transliterated as she.nah, means 'sleep.' It is derived from a root that suggests a state of rest. The word appears in contexts related to sleep, such as in Psalm 127:2. There is an Aramaic equivalent, also meaning 'sleep,' noted in the entries.
שֵׁנָה, שֵׁנָא, שֵׁנָת n.f. sleep
base
H8142 שֵׁנָה, שֵׁנָא, שֵׁנָת sleep
8142 shehah shay-naw'
or shena (Psa. 127:2) {shay-naw'}; from 3462;
sleep:--sleep.
see HEBREW for 03462
שֵׁנָה (she.nah) — sleep.
sleep
Aramaic equivalent: she.nah (שְׁנָה "sleep" H8139)
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp2ms