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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Warning Against Foolish Suretyship, Idleness, and Malice
v. 1. My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, pledging himself or giving security for the debts of another, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, giving his hand to any neighbor in need, to any debtor as a sign of binding oneself for his debts, Job_17:3,
v. 2. thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, or, "if thou art entangled with the sayings of thy mouth," thou art taken, held captive, with the words of thy mouth, held to his promise, this referring to the situation arising when the debtor finds himself unable to meet his obligations.
v. 3. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, tearing himself loose from the entanglement, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend, or, "since thou hast come into the hand of thy neighbor," this being the unfortunate consequence of the pledge lightly given. Go, humble thyself, rather, "stamp with thy foot," in an emphatic demand, and make sure thy friend, importuning him with great earnestness to fulfill his obligations, to tend to the payment of the debt before it is too late.
v. 4. Give not sleep to thine eyes nor slumber to thine eyelids, the most strenuous, ceaseless endeavors being demanded by the situation.
v. 5. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, literally, "from his," the debtor's, "hand," bending every effort, with anxiety and exertion, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. Prompt and energetic action will be necessary to avoid serious trouble. The author now sets forth the kind of person who is most apt to require surety, the connection of thought probably being this, that the man who went security might be considered as speaking to the lazy debtor in this manner:
v. 6. Go to the ant, the proverbial emblem of industry, thou sluggard; consider her ways, carefully observing how she makes provision for herself, and be wise, learning wisdom from the irrational insect;
v. 7. which, having no guide, overseer, or ruler, none of the officials who were and are required in Oriental countries to oversee the average workman,
v. 8. provideth her meat, her winter's supply of food, in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest, in the heat of late summer, storing it away carefully for the time of need.
v. 9. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? lying abed in laziness. When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? And now the conduct of the lazy is graphically described,
v. 10. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, an ironical imitation of the sigh of the sluggard, a little folding of the hands to sleep! But what is the result?
v. 11. So shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, not merely a vagrant, but a footpad, and thy want as an armed man, one armed with a shield, prepared for both offense and defense, so that the sluggard is overwhelmed before he has seriously thought of warding off danger. The mention of the footpad, or robber, now results in the description of violent and malicious men.
v. 12. A naughty person, morally worthless, a wicked man, the heedless man being a vile deceiver, walketh with a froward mouth, exercising himself in perverseness of speech, so addicted to malicious falsehood that he is a stranger to truth.
v. 13. He winketh with his eyes, as a signal to his companions to join him in some act of malice, he speaketh with his feet, giving signs with a similar intention, he teacheth with his fingers, hinting with them in a form of sign language understood by his fellows;
v. 14. frowardness is in his heart, malicious plans of every description, he deviseth mischief continually, in agreement with his wicked nature; he soweth discord, throwing out matters of dispute, stirring up strife, fomenting quarrels.
v. 15. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly, a crushing weight of destruction overtaking him before he is aware of it; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy, without a chance to escape, when the measure of his sins is full. In this connection the author enumerates some of the things which challenge the punishment of the Lord.
v. 16. These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto Him, He regards them all with loathing and abhorrence:
v. 17. a proud look, a haughty and supercilious behavior, a lying tongue, the organ of speech being named here for the false person, and hands that shed innocent blood, Cf Isa_59:7,
v. 18. an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, always planning mischief, feet that be swift in running to mischief, unable to restrain their eagerness for every form of wickedness,
v. 19. a false witness that speaketh lies, literally, "breatheth out lies," since he is addicted to that habit, and he that soweth discord among brethren, turning friends and relatives against one another. Against all these sins the inspired writer warns the believers of all times, since Satan, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.