Proverbs 20:4 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 20:4

See here the evil of slothfulness and the love of ease. 1. It keeps men from the most necessary business, from ploughing and sowing when the season is: The sluggard has ground to occupy, and has ability for it; he can plough, but he will not; some excuse or other he has to shift it off, but the true reason is that it is cold weather. Though ploughing time is not in the depth of winter, it is in the borders of winter, when he thinks it too cold for him to be abroad. Those are scandalously... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 20:4

The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold ,.... Or, "in the cold"; in the time of cold, as Aben Ezra; in the time of autumn, which is the time of ploughing, when it begins to be cold weather, and winter is drawing on: and this is discouraging to the sluggard, who does not care to take his hands out of his bosom to feed himself, and much less to plough; see Proverbs 19:24 ; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing ; he shall ask of those who have ploughed and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 20:4

The sluggard will not plough - For other parts of this character, see the preceding chapter, Proverbs 19 (note). It is seldom that there is a season of very cold weather in Palestine; very cold days sometimes occur, with wind, rain, and sleet. They begin their ploughing in the latter end of September, and sow their early wheat by the middle of October. And this is often the case in England itself. The meaning of the proverb is: the slothful man, under the pretense of unfavorable weather,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:1-5

Evils to be avoided I. SOME SPECIAL EVILS AND DANGERS . 1 . Drunkenness . ( Proverbs 20:1 .) The spirit or demon of wine is spoken of as a personal agent. It leads to frivolity, scoffing, profane and senseless mirth. To be drunk with wine, as St. Paul points out ( Ephesians 5:18 ), is the opposite of being "filled with the Spirit" (see F.W. Robertson's sermon on this subject). 2 . The wrath of kings. ( Proverbs 20:2 ) In those times of absolute rule, the king... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 20:4

The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold; propter frigus, Vulgate. But חֹרֶף ( choreph ) denotes the time of gathering—the autumn; so we would translate, "At the time of harvest the sluggard ploughs not"—just when the ground is most easily and profitably worked. "The weakness of the coulter and other parts of the plough requires that advantage be taken, in all but the most friable soils, of the softening of the surface by the winter or spring rains; so that the peasant,... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 20:4

Proverbs 20:4. The sluggard will not plough by reason of cold The cold of the ploughing season, being in the latter end of autumn, and toward winter, or early in the spring. He hates and avoids all laborious and difficult work, although his own necessity and interest oblige him to do it; therefore shall he beg, and have nothing And not obtain any alms; not even in harvest, that time of plenty and bounty, because men’s hearts are justly hardened against that man, who, by his own sloth and... 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 20:4

plow. Plowing always done during the early rains. cold = autumn. Put by Figure of speech Metalepsis, "cold" put for Autumn, and "Autumn" put for abundance of fruits possessed at that time. Therefore. This word is read in the text in some codices, with five early printed editions. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 20:4

"The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; Therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing."This proverb repeats the teaching of the old Aesop's fable of the grasshopper and the ant. Provision for one's future needs must be made at the expense of working at inconvenient times and under unfavorable circumstances. read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Proverbs 20:4

4. shall . . . beg—literally, "ask" (in this sense, :-). read more