Proverbs 20:13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:13

Note, 1. Those that indulge themselves in their ease may expect to want necessaries, which should have been gotten by honest labour. ?Therefore, though thou must sleep (nature requires it), yet love not sleep, as those do that hate business. Love not sleep for its own sake, but only as it fits for further work. Love not much sleep, but rather grudge the time that is spent in it, and wish thou couldst live without it, that thou mightest always be employed in some good exercise.? We must allow... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:13

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty ,.... Sleep is a very great natural blessing; it is a gift of God, what nature requires, and is desirable; it is to be loved, though not immoderately; it is sweet to a man, and what he should be thankful for; yet should not indulge himself in to the neglect of the proper business of life; nor to be used but at the proper time for it; for the eye is made for sight, and not for sleep only, as Aben Ezra observes, connecting the words with the preceding;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:13

Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty - Sleep, indescribable in its nature, is an indescribable blessing; but how often is it turned into a curse! It is like food; a certain measure of it restores and invigorates exhausted nature; more than that oppresses and destroys life. A lover of sleep is a paltry, insignificant character. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:12-19

Religion, industry, prudence, and honesty I. GOD THE SOURCE OF ALL GOOD . 1 . Of all bodily good. The eye, the ear, with all their wondrous mechanism, with all their rich instrumentality of enjoyment, are from him. 2 . Of all spiritual faculty and endowment, the analogues of the former, and "every good and perfect gift" ( James 1:16 ). The new heart, the right mind, should, above all, be recognized as his gifts. 3 . In domestic and in public life. Good counsels of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:13

Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty (see Proverbs 6:9 , etc.). The fate of the sluggard is handled again in Proverbs 23:21 , as often before; e.g. Proverbs 12:11 ; Proverbs 19:15 . The LXX ; taking שֵׁנָה ( shenah ) , "sleep," as perhaps connected with the verb שְׁנָה ( shanah ) , translate, "Love not to rail, that thou be not exalted ( ἵνα μὴ ἐξαρωῇς ) , " i.e. probably, "Do not calumniate others in order to raise yourself;" others translate,... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 20:13

Proverbs 20:13. Love not sleep That is, immoderate sleep, nor sloth, or idleness. Take sleep because necessity requires it, not from any love to it; lest thou come to poverty Lest thou reduce thyself to beggary. Persons that indulge themselves in sleep to excess, not only lose the time which they spend therein, but contract a listless, indolent disposition and habit, and are generally half asleep, or never well awake, and therefore, of course, come to poverty. Open thine eyes Awake out... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:1-30

Honesty (20:1-30)Wise people will not become drunkards, will not needlessly anger those in authority, will avoid quarrelling and will work to support themselves (20:1-4). They will also have the ability to draw out the deepest feelings and intentions of those with whom they deal (5). Many people boast of their loyalty but few practise it. To live honestly is the best way to guarantee a good future for one’s children (6-7). A king learns by experience to discern between right and wrong in cases... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Proverbs 20:13

come to poverty = become dispossessed. Hebrew. yarash. See note on Proverbs 6:11 . read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 20:13

"Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.""If you spend your time sleeping, you will be poor. Keep busy and you will have plenty to eat."[9] "What is stated in the first line here is elaborated in Proverbs 6:9-11."[10] See our comment on those verses. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Proverbs 20:13

13. Activity and diligence contrasted with sloth (Proverbs 6:9; Proverbs 10:11). lest . . . poverty—literally, "be deprived of inheritance." read more

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