Introduction

Solomon continues to sound warnings to his son in this chapter. “The various evils against which there is found warning in Proverbs 6 are as follows: (1) surety (vv. 1-5); (2) the sluggard (vv. 6-11); (3) the worthless man (vv. 12-19); the evil woman (vv. 20-35),” [Carroll]. Many are the temptations that shall assail us in this life, but the Divine wisdom given us in the Word shall deliver us from them all. Hence the need to read and study and meditate on the Word continually.

Proverbs 6:1 “My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger.” “Surety” is one who stands good for, or guarantees some one else. Its first appearance, in Genesis 43:9, shows its meaning. “There is a warning here, as elsewhere in this book, against all kinds of suretyship. Compare 11:15; 17:18; 20:16; 22:26-27; 27:13,” [Carroll]. The world is full of human leeches who are willing to take advantage of the good-hearted, but gullible, and they often use the Christian’s natural desire to do good to defraud him. They often profess to be friends (in need) when in reality they are strangers (to honesty). The Christian is not obligated to give to every request for help; sometimes it is sin to do so, if it encourages laziness, sloth, dishonesty, etc.

Proverbs 6:2 “Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.” Here is the result of becoming a surety for a seeming friend: he runs off, leaving the surety to pay the debt. What seemed at the time to be only words of friendship when one spoke them, now become strong bonds to hold the one who gave his hand to guarantee another. We must always stand by our word when once it is given, but we must also use wisdom and discretion in giving our word lest we are bound to a debt that we cannot pay. Youth, being not as experienced in the evil ways of men, would be easily engaged to stand for a seeming friend, who being without scruples, would use him then forsake him.

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.” It is natural to try to proudly force one’s way out of such a situation; but the better way is to humble oneself to either the debtor or to the judge so that he could get released from the responsibility he had incurred. “It is the excellency of the word of God that it teaches us not only divine wisdom for another world, but human prudence for this world, that we may order our affairs with discretion,” [M. Henry]. There is an ancient proverb that applies here: “While the word is unspoken, you are master of it; when once it is spoken, it is master of you.” Humility is not enjoyable, but often it is the only way of escape from a self-induced problem such as this.

Proverbs 6:4 “Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.” That is, rest not until you have delivered yourself from this responsibility. Under these circumstances, delay only increases the chances that one will not be able to get free of the bond one has taken upon himself. Sometimes we may like to think that if we ignore the problem and go to sleep, it will go away while we are asleep, but it seldom does.

Proverbs 6:5 “Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.” The roe ( a type of gazelle or antelope) is a symbol of swiftness, (2 Sam. 2:18; 1 Chron. 12:8). The bird (possibly a sparrow) suggests readiness to fly away at the first sign of danger, for it seldom takes more than one or two bites without looking around for signs of danger, and the least unusual sound will send it winging away. Tarrying in the face of danger is a quick way to get caught. Hence the wise thing here advocated, is to seek deliverance from this legal bondage as soon as it is possible to do so; yea, to flee in alarm from it.

Proverbs 6:6 “Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise.” There is a sermon to us in every part of nature if we will but consider it, for God has created it all, and has designed it to testify of Him. Yet, though man is the highest of God’s creation, and has almost infinite potential for wisdom, sin has so degenerated him that he must needs be taught by the lowliest of insects. “The ant does not borrow or beg, nor is it starved by neglecting to provide for its wants in time, but of its own accord burns with zeal for toil, without any one urging it. All the ants move on the same path. The ants that are without a load make way for those most laden. The burden which would be too difficult to carry they divide…They construct their houses and cells under ground, and fill their stores with grain, and have channels sunk to drain off the rain, and if their food becomes wet, they bring it out to dry,” [Faussett]. Marvelous natural wisdom.

Proverbs 6:7 “Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler.” Some people must be the leader or they will not work at all: others must be, like wheelbarrows, constantly pushed, else no work is done by them. Both classes need to consider the ant and learn from it, for it has no ambitions to lead, yet all are ambitious to work for the common good. What a wonderful world this would be if everyone cooperated in this way. Nothing is more orderly or busier than an ant hill or beehive (the LXX in v. 8 says “so to the bee”), yet neither require rulers with whips to get the work done. Common needs prompts to common concern and common effort.

Proverbs 6:8 “Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.” The lesson here is preparedness in the time of opportunity, (Prov. 30:24-28). Alas, how many people are neglecting the opportunity to become children of the light and to walk in the light until one day they will no longer have the opportunity, (John 12:35-36). Delay is one of Satan’s best tools in the damnation of souls. It is noteworthy also that Jesus Himself referred to saving faith under the figures of eating and drinking, (John 6). “Our whole present life is the time for action; the future, for retribution, which shall be ushered in by the judgment; the latter is the harvest,” [Faussett]. However, the preparedness that is primarily meant here, is that which has to do with preparation of one’s physical needs, which the sluggard neglects.

Proverbs 6:9 “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when whilt thou arise out of thy sleep?” Our duty is to work while it is day before the night comes when no man can work, (1 Thess. 5:4-8; Eph. 5:14). The sluggard is the slothful man, and this same Hebrew word is also rendered “slothful” more commonly. He is simply the man who refuses to labor, (Prov. 21:25; 24:30-31). From the time that sin entered the human race, labor has been the lot of each of us, (Gen. 3:17-19), and a part of the curse. Churches, which were originally the ones responsible for feeding the poor and the needy, were commanded not to feed any who would not work, (2 Thess. 3:10-14). Earning our food by labor being a result of the curse brought about by original sin, to attempt to get by without honest labor is a tacit denial of one’s sinfulness.

Proverbs 6:10 “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.” Note the descending gradation from deep sleep to the lighter slumber to just the preparations for sleep. Scientists now know that there are stages of sleep ranging from deep sleep bordering on total unconsciousness up to very light sleep which is almost wakefulness. We all know how hard it is to wake up sometimes, and how easy it is to drift back into a sounder sleep. There is a danger of becoming both a physical and a spiritual sluggard by yielding to this physically and spiritually. If we promise ourselves a little more ease before we rise up to our work, we may slip into a deeper sleep than we think and fail to awaken when we think to, and so it will be unprofitable.

Proverbs 6:11 “So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.” Here is the result of sloth: poverty shall come suddenly upon one while he is sleepily unaware of his danger. Some render “one that travelleth” as a highwayman” which would seem to be a better parallel to “an armed man.” The thought is that for the careless person, poverty will suddenly pounce upon him and strip him of all that he has. Today’s lesson thus warns of loss by becoming surety to another, or by being slothful in work. God shows us how to prosper even in business for He is graciously concerned that we have the best of this world, as well as that which is to come. How we ought to thank and praise His Name.

Proverbs 6:12 “A naught person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.” “Naughty person” is literally “a man of Belial,” a Hebrew expression for worthlessness and wickedness. Nowhere else is it rendered “naught” (which English word we do not associate with so great an evil as the Hebrew word suggests). Most commonly it is rendered as “Belial” as in Deuteronomy 13:13; Judges 19:22; 1 Samuel 2:12, all of which show the depth of wickedness that these practice. The parallel “a wicked man” shows us the meaning in our lesson. “Froward” is the same word as in 4:24, and means “distorted” or “perverse.” It is not the physical shape of the mouth that is meant, but rather what comes out of it that is perverse and distorted.

Proverbs 6:13 “He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers.” By subtle and secret signs the man of Belial manifests the evil that is in his heart, (v. 14; also see Job 15:12). The different terms, mouth, eyes, feet, fingers, all show that he is wholly given over to wickedness. The froward man is he who is idle in righteousness, but busy in evil. This was the cause of Sodom’s sin, (Ezek. 16:49). This is also a very real cause of America’s iniquity—too much time and wealth. “Thus we see the idle to be over-busy, and those who will not move even their little finger to any good work, to be very energetic in badness,” [T. Cartwright].

Proverbs 6:14 “Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.” Anyone can fall into sin, but the man of Belial lives in sin, delights in it, and devises it continually. It is the characteristic of his life. He delights in it whether it is profitable to him or not. “He aims not so much to enrich and advance himself as to do an ill turn to those about him,” [M. Henry]. Alas, how evil must he be who delights to do evil simply for evil’s sake. Sin has always been the great disrupter of the universe, and Satan the great sower of discord. Little wonder then if his people are continual sowers of discord between brethren. But there is justice for such: judgment shall find them.

Proverbs 6:15 “Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.” Here is the consequence of such sin—calamity (or destruction, as the same word is also rendered, (Job 21:30)). This Hebrew word means a burden, but is derived from a word meaning to surround, so that it suggests a burdensome judgment with no way out of it. Another awful thing about this calamity is that it comes upon one suddenly without time to prepare for it. “Without remedy” means without healing, (Prov. 29:1; Jer. 14:19; same word). One of the deceptions that Satan practices is in telling sinners that they will always have time to repent just before judgment falls upon them.

Proverbs 6:16  “These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him.” “Solomon passes from the description of the froward man (vv. 12-15) to setting forth the many sins which accumulate themselves in him, and which bring on him sudden and irremediable calamity,” [Faussett]. It is true that God hates all sin, but some seem to be especially odious to Him, and to draw forth a speedier judgment. These things about to be mentioned are all things that are vile and detestable, and, as the parallel phrase shows, hateful to the Lord. Because He feels this way toward them, they can never be profitable to man, however he may want to practice them.

Proverbs 6:17 “A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.” Pride is always hateful in the eyes of God because it partakes of the nature of self-worship, which is idolatry, (16:5). “Haughty eyes (margin) simply evidences what is in the heart, and so are also hateful, (Ps. 18:27; 101:5; 131:1). The lying tongue is a direct contradiction of the ninth commandment, (Ex. 20:16), as well as being an imitation of the devil, (John 8;44). Truth is always pure, and needs no misrepresentation to establish it: he who will lie, shows that he is not of the truth, (1 John 2:21). The third of these hateful things is blood-thirstiness, which is always characterized by supreme love of self, and disregard of others. Men of blood are guilty men, (Gen. 9:4-6), their prayers go unanswered, (Isa. 1;15); and they shall be given blood to drink as a judgment, (Rev. 16:6). “Innocent” does not mean that anyone is sinless, but only that he did not deserve to be murdered, being not guilty of a capital crime.

Proverbs 6:18 “An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief.” The description of the heart here exactly corresponds with the condition of most men at the time of the flood, and which was the cause of it, (Gen. 6:5-7). “The heart (not merely evil, as all men’s hearts are naturally, but) deliberately and continually, of set purpose, devising wicked imaginations is set the middle of the seven abominations, for it is the center whence the rest emanate,” [Faussett]. The heart is the fountain while the feet carry out the thoughts of the heart, like a stream carries out the waters of the fountain. “The eagerness and industry of sinners in their sinful pursuits, may shame us who go about that which is good so awkwardly and so coldly,” [M. Henry].

Proverbs 6:19 “A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” There are at least three distinct sins committed by this one: (1) In being a false witness, one sins against God, whose name is invoked in giving witness. (2) The lies are directed at others, whose character are besmirched by the lies. (3) The lies told alienate the brethren from him who is lied against, so that they are led to feel hard toward him without cause. The false witness must answer to God for all three of these, for it is his words that have multiplied sin. The distinction in faithful and false witnesses is drawn in 14:5, 25. Satan uses malicious tongues to sow discord among those who should always be unified, for his philosophy is “Divide and conquer.” An American statesman said in Revolutionary times: “We must all hang together or we shall surely all hang, separately.”

Proverbs 6:20 “My son; keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother.” 1:8; 3:1. Children have a tendency, as soon as they are out from under the parental roof, to cast off the good teaching and counsel of their parents, but this is never profitable. For one thing, to dishonor parents is to shorten one’s physical life, (Eph. 6:1-3), for it is only right that parents be obeyed since they occupy the place of God in the child’s mind until he is old enough to understand the concept of God. How parents live and act will determine how the children think of God in later years. Parents’ teachings shape and mold their children’s minds and manners. Hence the promise in Proverbs 22:6. Here it is assumed that the children have been rightly trained, and so an obligation devolves upon them.

Proverbs 6:21 “Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.” If truth has been bound upon the heart, then there will not be wicked imaginations in the heart. This refers back to 3:3. Similar command had been given in Deuteronomy 6:6-8, but the Jews in N. T. times misinterpreted the meaning, and instead of learning and believing the Law, made phylacteries—small boxes containing scripture verses—which they bound upon themselves, (Matthew 23:5). These phylacteries came to be regarded with superstitious awe, as amulets often are. But the meaning here is simply that men were to learn the law, and to bow their necks to its teachings. Contrast Proverbs 29:1; Jeremiah 7:26; 17:23; 19:15. A stiff neck in the Bible symbolizes rebellion against the Word of God.

Proverbs 622 “When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.” The Word of the Lord is not only a command, it is also a counselor to lead us in the right way, a controller to keep us safe from evil, and a companion to converse with on our journey through life. He who is always led by the Word of the Lord will never walk long in wrong paths, nor will danger be able to over-take him, since the Word prescribes the way of escape from temptation, (1 Cor. 10:13), and it always is a comfort to hear its blessed promises which it speaks to us. How much sorrow would be averted if people would but hear and heed the Word. But the very fact that the Word is the antidote to so much sin and sorrow is the very reason Satan tries so hard to divert people from God’s Word.

Proverbs 6:23 “For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” The soul of man is, by nature, in darkness: it needs an external illumination to lighten its way so that it can find the way of life eternal, and this need is supplied by the Word of God. Any law, but especially the Law of God, is given to direct man into right paths where there is no condemnation because of transgression. The Word of God is often likened to that which gives light, (Ps. 19:8; 119:105). But neither this nor any other text ever implies or means that men are saved by keeping God’s law, for none can do so to perfection, which is what is demanded. The law does not save except by condemning sin and sinners and then directing men to the Saviour who alone can save, (Rom. 3:19-22; Gal. 3:11-13, 19, 22-24). However people may dislike being reproved by the Word, it is still the way of life.

Proverbs 6:24 “To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.” Solomon seems to dwell upon this particular danger, which is one of the most common dangers to youth, but perhaps there is underlying this all too real danger, another even worse danger which is symbolized by the sin of adultery. “This one evil—viz., whoredom—is given as an instance to show how the commandment can keep us from all kinds of departure from God, which is spiritual adultery,” [Faussett]. Such “Love triangles” are glorified in modern thought, but they are really examples, not of love, but of lust. “This they now call ‘The Eternal Triangle,’ but it seems more correct to call it ‘The Infernal Triangle,’” [Carroll]. The more we read the warnings in the Word of God against this sin, the less likely we will be deceived into yielding to it as if it were some great good that we could not do without, which is always Satan’s persuasive pitch.

Proverbs 6:25 “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.” Here Solomon, in agreement with our Lord in Matthew 5:28; 15:19, traces this sin ultimately to the heart where it is first harbored and incubated before it is acted out, but it is real even when it is in the heart, and so it is guilty. Thus, many sins—lust, pride, unbelief, etc., —that are never seen by any man, are recorded against man by God. “Take thee with her eyelids” probably refers to a woman’s flirtatious looks by which she captures the male attention. In ancient times, even as now, women often painted their eyes to accentuate them so that hey could better catch the attention of men as they flirted with them, (2 Kings 9:30; Ezek. 23:40). The devil’s modus operandi is always (1) Look. (2) Lust. (3) Enticement. (4) Sin. (5) Death. (6) Damnation. (Jam. 1:14-15). The secret of escape is, never dwell upon forbidden things.

Proverbs 6:26 “For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.” “Intercourse with the ‘whorish woman’ —i.e., the adulterous ‘wife of a man’ is bought at the cost of losing not only one’s substance, but even one’s life—the life of nature, of grace, and of eternal bliss. The detected adulterer was put to death,” [Faussett]. The thought here seems to be that a man’s transgressions with such a woman may reduce him to utter poverty—so that he possess no more than a single piece of bread. “Precious” is the same Hebrew word as used of the redeemed life in Psalm 49:8. And it is true that sinners, both male and female, would rather entice a Christian to do evil, than another unsaved person, for to do so deceives them into thinking that they are really no different than those who claim to be saved.

Proverbs 6:27 “Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?” Just as a person could not wrap up a hot coal in his robe to carry it without it burning his robe, so one cannot take sin unto himself without bearing the marks of it. “Clothes” often symbolize righteousness, and one’s personal righteousness is soiled by such sin, and often leaves a mark that can scarcely be lived down by a life of right living. There is a high cost to low living. The heat of unholy passion will certainly burn the individual, man or woman, who transgresses God’s commandments in this matter.

Proverbs 6:28 “Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?” “The whoremonger or adulterer treads upon the coals of lust; and he cannot therefore expect not to be burned by the flame of conscience and of judicial vengeance,”  [Faussett]. It would take a greater miracle for the adulterer to escape judgment than for one to walk upon hot coals without being burned, for in the case of the adulterer, the very holiness and justice of God are involved: God cannot close His eyes to sin: it must be reckoned with in judgment. See the results of David’s sin in 2 Samuel 12:7-14. It is interesting to note the likeness of fire to adultery in verses 27-28, for adultery is considered a consuming fire in Job 31:9-12, and was indeed punished by burning at times, (Gen. 38:24).

Proverbs 6:29 “So he that goeth in to his neighbor’s wife: whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.” There is no way that any person can commit this sin and still be innocent in God’s sight, for he is transgressing the property rights of another, violating marriage vows, scorning God’s commandments, both concerning adultery, (Ex. 20:14), and concerning covetousness, (Ex. 20:17). He is destroying family relationships and setting evil examples for children, and only confusion and evil can come from it. Little wonder that even to touch a woman in a carnal way is forbidden, for “petting” is the first step toward fornication, (1 Cor. 7:1-2). Seldom do people plan to commit fornication when they begin to touch one another familiarly, but it leads to it all to frequently.

Proverbs 6:30 “Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry.” Men do not despise the thief if he steals to satisfy physical hunger, yet he is still answerable to justice for his stealing, for it is wrong, yet it is not of the same nature of sin as the man who takes the wife of another man. The sex drive is also a hunger, yet it is one which has legitimate outlets, and he who violates the laws governing it must answer for it.

Proverbs 6:31 “But if he be found, he shall restore seven-fold; he shall give all the substance of his house.” This was the penalty for the one who stole, even to satisfy his hunger: he could be fined to the uttermost limit of his possessions, (Ex. 22:1-4), which may be what is meant by “sevenfold” (seven being the number of completeness) and no command being given to take “sevenfold” for thievery. This is borne out by the parallelism of the second clause. Not even desperate need justifies breaking the law: how much less is there justification for breaking the law simply to fulfill one’s lusts. No excuse is possible for the adulterer, for God has made provision for the legitimate exercise of desire, for “every man” and “every woman” is granted permission to have “his own wife” and “her own husband,” (1 Cor. 7:2). Whatsoever is otherwise than this is sin.

Proverbs 6:32 “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.” Adultery is often committed in the name of great love, but the marginal reading “heart” for “understanding,” shows that the adulterer lacks even the capacity for true love. Those who are guilty of this sin are generally immature, insecure, self-centered persons who lack any depth of feeling for others, being primarily selfish in their desires. Fornication is a sin against one’s own body and life, (Job 331:9-12; 1 Cor. 6:18).

Proverbs 6:33 “A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.” Speaking of the response of the aggrieved husband and society in general. “It will be a wound to his good name, a dishonor to his family, and though the guilt of it may be done away by repentance, the reproach of it never will,” [M. Henry]. So it was with David, as Solomon full well knew. Though not always applied, the death penalty was decreed for this sin, (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22-24). There would be no over-population today if this law was enforced.

Proverbs 6:34 “For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.” Husbands and wives may rightly expect the other to remain faithful to them, and jealousy in the good sense of expecting total affection and love from one’s mate, is right and good. Even God is jealous in this sense, (Ex. 20:5; 34:13-14). There was even a special jealousy law ordained in Numbers 5:11-30. Curiously, even today, guilt feelings about sex sometimes cause women to fear cancer of the female organs. This jealousy law was meant to promote and even to produce this.

Proverbs 6:35 “He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.” The ransom would be a money payment to buy off the anger of the husband, but in cases of adultery, often no ransom is sufficient to assuage the anger of the injured partner, for adultery is not the theft of something material, but is a stealing of part of a person—his mate and his love. In Exodus 21:30 a ransom is decreed for an ox killing a person. As water cannot quench the fire of love, so neither can money be sufficient for the alienation of a spouse’s affection, (Song of Solomon 8:7). Sometimes only the blood of the guilty party will suffice to satisfy the aggrieved person.