Proverbs 6
PATFor the securing of the peace and happiness of a married life (which the wise man had commended in the foregoing chapter), he here adds two cautions; one against suretyship, the other against sloth: which make great discontents in a family, by bringing it to poverty. He illustrates both by elegant similitudes; especially the latter, by the example of the ant: who borrows of none, and yet is not in danger to starve; laying up in store, by * a notable industry, sufficient provision in due season against a time of need. Which the great Lord Bacon [a] ingeniously applies (in the beginning of his sixth book of the Advancement of Learning) to the improvement of arts and sciences, by every one’s bringing his grain. And in this business he defines the slothful to be; whose only care it is to live upon the main stock; but not to improve it by sowing the ground of sciences over again, and reap* ing a new harvest. This is the sum of the eleven first verses. And upon this occasion he annexes the description of a deceitful knave, (vcr. 12, &c.) who cares not by what wicked arts he lives, when he is reduced to poverty: Avhosc character he gives from his mouth, his eyes, feet, fingers, heart, and tongue. And after a septenary of vices, (vcr. 16, &c.) which he represents as most odious to God; he returns to his former argument, “to give cautions against unelcanncss, especially adultery, (ver. 20. 24, &e.) which, as it is many times the effect of idleness, so he shews is the way to bring one to poverty;” nay, to endanger one’s life, or to bring inevitably upon him some other mischief; not only infamy, but the hatred and revenge of that person who is wronged by the adulterer; who hereby puts himself into a worse condition than that of a thief. [6] They that would see the terrible effects of this jealousy fully and livclily described, let them read St. Chrysostom, mpl Uap^eviag, chap. lii. where he observes, among other things, -that ov njv c&vptav fiovov aXXa Kol Svubv, &c. this disease is wont to breed and bring forth, not only an intolerable heaviness of mind, but an insupportable rage; and that such is the madness of this distemper, that it is not cured, no, not by the revenge it takes upon him that is the cause of it. The principal points of wisdom to be learnt in this chapter are these; care of our family; caution in engaging for others; diligence in some honest employment; hatred of idleness, as contrary to nature; not to contemn the meanest instructor, but to learn something even of the smallest creature; and to improve the present time; to dread the mischievous effects of poverty, especially that which comes by idleness; (the effect of which is too oft the loss of all conscience; ver. 12, 13, &c.) to give good heed to the admonitions of our parents and instructors* when they teach the will of God: and above all thingSi to fortify ourselves against the sins of uncleannesst About which the wise man gives the more frequent cautions, because youth is not more prone to them, than they are pernicious to youth: who ought therefore not only to weigh diligently the miserable consequences of them, especially of adultery (which he represents in the conclusion of the chapter), but carefully to avoid the ocr casions of such sins; and faithfully to suppress the first motions towards them, ver. 25, &c. [c] where he gives a particular charge to watch over our eyes (which arc the inlets to love), and uses a remarkable phrase to express the danger of gazing upon an evil woman; lest he be taken or caught with her eyelids: which he seems to compare to nets, as other authors do: particularly Phi* lostratus in his Epistles; where he often speaks of the ra t&v dfiuarwv S’tKrva, nets of the eyes; and hath in these elegant words expressed the power of love which resides in the eyelids,’ here mentioned: 6 Ep<oc rfjv rwv 6
Proverbs 6:1
lfJLY son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger J. And now, my son, (see chap. ii. 1. iii. 1. 17.) that no difference may arise between thy wife and thee; be advised by me not to pass thy word rashly for the money which thy neighbour or friend borroweth of another; much less stand bound for a stranger, whose honesty or ability is unknown to thee.
Proverbs 6:2
Thou art snared with the tvords of thy mouth, thou art taken with the tvords of thy mouth. Young men, indeed, think this no great matter; but if thou hast been so incautious as to be drawn into such engagements, look upon thyself as no longer a free man, but hampered and enslaved in dangerous obligations. *
Proverbs 6:3
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. And therefore, in that case, immediately follow the counsel which I now give thee, my son: do thy utmost endeavour to be discharged, by pressing thy friend forthwith to satisfy the debt, or to give thee security against the creditor: make no delay, and stick not, if need be, to cast down thyself before him on the ground, and beseech him as readily to grant thy request, as thou wast forward to comply with his: be not modest at all; nor cease to urge and importune him, by thyself and by thy friends, till thou hast prevailed with him.
Proverbs 6:4
Give not sleep to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy eyelids. Be not quiet till this be accomplished; nor take so much as a wink of sleep till thou art cased of this care: which, if thou undcrstandest thyself, may well disturb thy rest.
Proverbs 6:5
Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. For thou art in the same condition with a young roe, or silly bird, that is taken in the toil of the hunter, or the snare of the fowler; and therefore struggle, like them, with all thy might, to get loose (if it be possible), and to be released from the bond wherein thou art entangled.
Proverbs 6:6
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.* Nor arc industry and diligence requisite in this alone, but in all thy affairs; to which, therefore, if thou art slothful, I must excite thee by the example of the ants, whose orderly and unanimous diligence, in collecting and preserving food for themselves, if thou wilt mark and observe, thou mayest be ashamed to be an idle spectator of their labours; and learn hereafter to imitate their provident care. SccArg. [a]
Proverbs 6:7
Which having no guide, overseer, orrider. Which is the more remarkable, because they have none to lead and direct them (as mankind have), no overseer to exact their labours; no supreme governor to call them to an account for any negligence.
Proverbs 6:8
Provideth her meat in the summer, andgathereth her food in the harvest. And yet they never omit the opportunity they have in harvest, to make provision against the winter; but toil perpetually in gathering, and carrying food into the cells they have digged for it in the earth; where they lay it up and secure it with admirable art; that it may neither be injured by the weather, nor stolen from them by other creatures.
Proverbs 6:9
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?. O the strange idleness of mankind! who have many monitors and governors, that call upon them again and again, and stir them up in vain to labour. What wretchlessness is this, which makes thee, O sluggard, indulge thyself in laziness and sloth? as if thou wert made for nothing else but to sleep and take thine ease!
Proverbs 6:10
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep. Rolling thyself in thy bed, and ridiculously desiring thy pains may be spared, and thou mayest be suffered still, without any disturbance, to enjoy a little more sleep; when thou hast loitered too long, and put off the care of thy affairs from time to time, till thou hast none left to do it in.
Proverbs 6:11
So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. But poverty comes apace upon thee, and before thou art aware leaves thee as naked as if thou wert stripped by a highwayman: nay, extreme want seizes on thee unavoidably, like an armed man, which thou canst find no means to resist. See Arg. \d]
Proverbs 6:12
A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with afroxvard mouth. By which means thou mayest be tempted to become the worst of men, a perfect shark, void of all faith and honesty; whose mouth never speaks a word of truth; but makes it his business, by lies, or flatteries, or slanders, or perjuries, to maintain himself in his idle courses.
Proverbs 6:13
He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers. His very eyes are instruments of deceit or mischief; for he makes signs with them to his companions, when they are to play their pranks: or if that be too broad, he secretly treads upon their toes, or signifies his mind by the motion of his fingers; for every part of him is employed to make his wicked meaning understood.
Proverbs 6:14
Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. How should it be otherwise, when his heart is a shop, furnished with nothing but all manner of perverse inclinations? which are perpetually at work to contrive some mischief or other: and (if they can do nothing else) by casting suspicions into men’s minds one of another, to stir up hatred, dissension, strife, brawlings, law-suits, and all manner of discord; which is the destruction^ families and kingdoms.
Proverbs 6:15
Therefore shall his calamity come snddmly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. And shall prove his own utter ruin: which, for this very cause, shall, sooner than he thinks of, in a terrible manner, come upon him; when he fancies he hath carried his matters so cun-
Proverbs 6:16
These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him.2 For, among oflences of this kind, nothing is more odious to the Lord (who is the dispenser of rewards and punishments), nothing more opposite to the Divine nature, and which he more severely punishes, than these six or seven tilings; which are commonly found in loose companions, such as I have now described:
Proverbs 6:17
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that sftfd innocent blood. First, pride and haughtiness of spirit; which swelling a man with a vain opinion of himself, makes him contemn all others, and overlook them as below his notice. Secondly, falsehood or treachery; which stick not at any lies, or flatteries, or calumnies. And, thirdly, a violent, cruel disposition; which makes a man rather imbrue his hands in the blood even of an innocent person, than not have him removed, who stands in the way of his designs.
Proverbs 6:18
A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,fcet that be sicift. in running to mischief. To which add the fountain of all these, and of those that follow; a mind that studies nothing but how, by fraud or force (thougb never so injurious to. others), to satisfy some desire of pleasure, covetousness, or revenge: which produces three other abominable vices. First, fonvardncss to execute such mischievous intentions and desires cheerfully, without any check or delay:
Proverbs 6:19
A false witness that speaketh lies, and him that soiveth discord among brethren. Secondly, an atheistical impudence, Miiich makes a man in open court (when he is upon his oath) testify any falsehood against his neighbour; and lastly, such malicious envy, as loves to make the dearest friends fall out; and takes pleasure to see those at variance, who ought to be most closely united in brotherly affection..
Proverbs 6:20
My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother. And here, my son, I must remember thee of what I said in the beginning, (chap. i. 8.) about a reverend regard unto thy parents; especially when they warn thee against such wickednesses as these: do not make light of their admonitions; but observe the precepts of thy father, and let thy mother’s commands be a law to thee. (See chap. i. 8.).
Proverbs 6:21
Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck. Fix them in thy mind, and link thy affections so fast to them, that they may not only be continually before thine eyes; but seem the greatest ornament to all thy words and actions, when they aic ordered by their directions.
Proverbs 6:22
When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou aivakcst, it shall talk with thee. Thou wilt find the benefit of giving early entertainment to such good counsel from thy parents, in every passage of thy whole life: for when thou goest about any business, it will guide thee to do it honestly and successfully; when thou best down to sleep, it will make thee rest secure of the guardianship of the Divine Providence over thee; and.when thou awakest in the morning, suggest to thy thoughts how thou oughtest to behave thyself at home and abroad.,
Proverbs 6:23
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light j and reproofs of instruction arc thetvays of life. In the darkest times, and the most dubious cases, it will both direct and comfort thee; for every particular commandment of God (which they teach thee) is like a candle; and the whole law is like the light of the sun; to shew thee thy way, and to exhilarate thy spirits, while thou walkest in it: nay, the severest reproofs, which correct thy errors, and reduce thee to obedienco, are the way to the greatest happiness.
Proverbs 6:24
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. As those instructions and reproofs, for instance, out to be accounted, which preserve thee from being deluded by the flattering speeches and enticements of a lewd woman; from whom thou oughtest perfectly to estrange thyself, as from a sink of all wickedness.
Proverbs 6:25
Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. Let me advise thee again (though I have done it oft, ii. 1G. v. 3, 4, &c.) not to gaze upon her beauty, or upon her fine attire; but suppress the very first desire, which a glance of her may have kindled in thy heart: do not consent to pursue it in the least; much, less suffer thyself to be caught in the nets of her wanton. eyes, and thereby drawn into her dangerous embraces. See Arg. [c]
Proverbs 6:26
For by means of a xohorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread; and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. For such is the cunning of a harlot, that having got a silly youth into her toils, she will hardly let him go, till she have reduced him to the extremest beggary; and if she be another man’s wife, a train is laid for that which is more precious by far than all the treasures be hath spent, viz. his dearest life; w T hich he foolishly loses for the short pleasure of a sinful lust.
Proverbs 6:27
Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burnt?. He may think, perhaps, to enjoy his pleasure so privately, that none shall know it; but that is as unlikely, as that a man should take fire secretly into his bosom, and so conceal it that it shall not break out and burn his clothes.
Proverbs 6:28
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt?. Who ever heard that fire will do no hurt, because it is closely lodged? or that any body ever walked barefoot upon red-hot coals,and his feet escaped from being burnt?.
Proverbs 6:29
So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife; wliosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. Even so it is sottish folly to imagine that a man shall suffer nothing, who lies with his neighbour’s wife: let him be who he will that commits that crime, he shall not escape unpunished.
Proverbs 6:30
Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry. For he is not a common thief, who only steals a man’s goods, and that perhaps out of extreme necessity, merely to satisfy his hungry appetite, which he knows not otherways how to fill: such a one we aro apt to pity, and do not expose him to shame, by whipping him, and laying stripes upon his back;
Proverbs 6:31
But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house. But when he is found out, he shall only make as complete a restitution (Psal. lxxix. 12.) as the law requires, (Exod. xxii. l,&c.) though that perhaps may be no less than all that he is worth. See Arg. [e]