Chapter Overview
Summary
Proverbs 6 treats four distinct-topics in sequence: (1) warnings-against-becoming-surety (vv. 1–5), (2) the-ant-as-model-of-wisdom (vv. 6–11), (3) the seven-things-the-LORD-hates catalog (vv. 16–19), and (4) the second-adulteress-warning (vv. 20–35). The seven-abominations list is the Hebrew Bible's most-focused catalog of divine-hatreds.
Notable Variants
6:6 'go to the ant, O sluggard' classical wisdom-observation; 6:16–19 'six things the LORD hates, seven are an abomination to him' — the divine-hatred catalog; 6:20–35 second adulteress-warning with reputation-destruction emphasis.
Structural Notes
MT Prov 6 = LXX Prov 6. 35 verses.
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have pledged yourself to a stranger with a handshake,
'My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, have given your pledge for a stranger' tracks MT. SURETY WARNING begins. Proverbs 11:15, 17:18, 20:16, 22:26, 27:13 share the strong warnings against surety.
you have been snared by the words of your mouth, caught by the words of your mouth.
'If you are snared in the words of your mouth, caught in the words of your mouth' tracks MT.
Do this then, my son, and free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor's hand: go, humble yourself, and press your neighbor urgently.
'Then do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into the hand of your neighbor: go, hasten, and plead urgently with your neighbor' tracks MT.
Do not give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.
'Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber' tracks MT.
Free yourself like a gazelle from a hunter's hand, like a bird from the fowler's grip.
'Save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler' tracks MT. GAZELLE-FROM-HAND / BIRD-FROM-FOWLER — the escape imagery. Ps 124:7 echoes.
Go to the ant, you sluggard; observe her ways and become wise.
'Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise' tracks MT. ANT-TO-SLUGGARD observation. The LXX adds a significant-plus in some textual-traditions: additional wisdom-sayings about the ant and about the bee. The bee-plus (absent from MT and most English translations) reads roughly: 'Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is … her work kings and commoners use for health.'
She has no commander, no overseer, and no ruler,
'Without having any chief, officer, or ruler' tracks MT. ANT-SELF-MOTIVATED — without-supervisor organization.
yet she prepares her food in summer and gathers her provisions at harvest.
'She prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest' tracks MT.
How long will you lie there, sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?
'How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?' tracks MT.
'A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest' —
'A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest' tracks MT. THE SLUGGARD'S MOTTO — repeated at Prov 24:33.
and poverty will come upon you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man.
'And poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man' tracks MT.
A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech.
'A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech' tracks MT. 'WORTHLESS PERSON' (adam beliyaal / anēr aphrōn). Beliyaal — the 'worthless-one' — became a demonic title in Second-Temple and NT literature. 2 Corinthians 6:15 ('what accord has Christ with BELIAR?') uses the Hebrew-Aramaic form.
He winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his fingers.
'Winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger' tracks MT. SECRET-SIGNALING deceivers.
Perversity fills his heart; he devises evil at all times and sows discord.
'With perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord' tracks MT. SOW-DISCORD — anti-community.
Therefore disaster will come on him suddenly; in an instant he will be shattered beyond healing.
'Therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing' tracks MT.
Six things the LORD hates; seven are detestable to Him:
'There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him' tracks MT. SIX-SEVEN WISDOM-FORMULA — common Hebrew numerical-parallelism (cf. Prov 30:15–31, Job 5:19, Amos 1–2). The 'seven' is climactic.
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
'Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood' tracks MT. FIRST-THREE of the seven.
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that rush to run toward evil,
'A heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil' tracks MT. FOURTH-AND-FIFTH. The 'feet swift to run to evil' vocabulary-family reappears in Rom 3:15 catena.
a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
'A false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers' tracks MT. SIXTH-AND-SEVENTH (the climactic seventh): DISCORD-SOWING between brothers. The SEVENTH-hated-thing is relationship-poisoning — God's highest-listed abomination concerning human-relations.
Guard, my son, your father's command, and do not forsake your mother's instruction.
'My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching' tracks MT. // Prov 1:8. The adulteress-warning resumes.
Bind them on your heart continually; tie them around your neck.
'Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck' tracks MT.
When you walk, it will lead you; when you lie down, it will watch over you; and when you wake, it will speak with you.
'When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you' tracks MT. 24/7-INSTRUCTION — wisdom's companion-role.
For the command is a lamp and instruction is a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life —
'For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life' tracks MT. COMMANDMENT-IS-LAMP // Ps 119:105's 'your word is a lamp.'
to guard you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the outsider.
'To preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress' tracks MT.
Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelids.
'Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes' tracks MT. HEART-DESIRE warning. Matthew 5:28 ('whoever looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart') directly extends.
For a prostitute reduces a man to a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts for a precious life.
'For the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life' tracks MT.
Can a man carry fire against his chest without his clothes being burned?
'Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?' tracks MT. FIRE-NEXT-TO-CHEST proverb — rhetorical impossibility of adultery-without-damage.
Can a man walk on hot coals without scorching his feet?
'Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?' tracks MT.
So it is with the man who goes to his neighbor's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.
'So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife; none who touches her will go unpunished' tracks MT.
People do not despise a thief if he steals to fill his stomach when he is hungry,
'People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his appetite when he is hungry' tracks MT.
but if caught, he must repay sevenfold; he must hand over all the wealth of his house.
'But if he is caught, he will pay sevenfold; he will give all the goods of his house' tracks MT. SEVENFOLD-RESTITUTION — theft punishment (Exodus 22:1's five/fourfold, Prov 6:31's sevenfold).
But the one who commits adultery lacks sense; whoever does it destroys himself.
'He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself' tracks MT.
He will find wounds and disgrace, and his shame will not be wiped away.
'He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away' tracks MT.
For jealousy is a husband's fury, and he will show no mercy on the day of revenge.
'For jealousy makes a man furious, and he will not spare when he takes revenge' tracks MT.
He will not accept any compensation; he will not be willing, no matter how large the bribe.
'He will accept no compensation; he will refuse though you multiply gifts' tracks MT.