Proverbs 26:13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 26:13

When a man talks foolishly we say, He talks idly; for none betray their folly more than those who are idle and go about to excuse themselves in their idleness. As men's folly makes them slothful, so their slothfulness makes them foolish. Observe, 1. What the slothful man really dreads. He dreads the way, the streets, the place where work is to be done and a journey to be gone; he hates business, hates every thing that requires care and labour. 2. What he dreams of, and pretends to dread?a lion... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:13

The slothful man saith ,.... Within himself; or to such that excite him to diligence and industry, to go about the business of his calling, to till his field, and dress his vineyard. The Septuagint and Arabic versions add, "being sent into the way"; ordered by his master to go out to work, when he makes the following excuse: there is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets ; in the way to his field or vineyard, and in the streets, where his business lies or leads unto it: a... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 26:13

The slothful man saith - See the note on Proverbs 22:13 ; (note). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:13

This is virtually the same as Proverbs 22:13 . The words for "lion" are different in two parts of the verse, shakhal being the lion of advanced age, ari the full-grown animal; the latter may possibly be assumed to be the more dangerous of the two, and so a climax would be denoted. There is a proverb current in Bechuana, which says, "The month of seed time is the season of headaches." read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:13

A lion in the way. I. INDOLENCE CREATES DIFFICULTIES . The hindrance is not real; it is purely imaginary. The lion is not in the way , but in the fancy of the slothful man. If a man is not in earnest in undertaking any work, he is certain to picture to himself insuperable obstacles. Thus missionary enterprises are discouraged by those who have no missionary zeal. The call of Christ to service and sacrifice is shirked by men whose inventive ingenuity has manufactured unsound... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:13

(See homily on Proverbs 22:13 .)—C. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:13-16

Proverbs concerning the sluggard. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 26:13-16

The vice of idleness I. IT IS FULL OF EXCUSES . ( Proverbs 26:13 .) There is always some pretext for evading duty, however frivolous and absurd, with the idle man. Idleness is the parent of almost every sin; here of cowardice, he who excuses, accuses himself. Every manly act of exertion is imagined to be full of danger by the lazy mind. The sluggard does not see what danger of another and deadlier kind there is in stagnation. Danger is the brave man's opportunity, difficulty... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 26:13-16

Proverbs 26:13-16. The slothful man saith, &c. “In this and the following verses, three degrees of sloth are represented; the first, when a man is loath to stir out of doors about his business in the field, Proverbs 26:13; the second, when he is loath so much as to leave his bed, Proverbs 26:14; and the third and highest, when he will scarcely put his hand to his mouth, Proverbs 26:15. By which hyperbolical expression the wise man admirably sets forth the incredible laziness of some,... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:1-28

Fools and troublemakers (26:1-28)Only a fool honours a fool, and only a fool curses another without cause. Such a curse cannot come true (26:1-2). People with wisdom know on which occasions to ignore a fool and on which occasions to answer him (3-5). Fools cannot be trusted. For them, proverbs are as useless as paralysed legs, and honour is as useless as a stone tied to the sling that is supposed to throw it out (6-8). Fools with a little knowledge can be dangerous. As employees, they can... read more

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