Proverbs 26:13-16 NIV

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 26:14

Having seen the slothful man in fear of his work, here we find him in love with his ease; he lies in his bed on one side till he is weary of that, and then turns to the other, but still in his bed, when it is far in the day and work is to be done, as the door is moved, but not removed; and so his business is neglected and his opportunities are let slip. See the sluggard's character. 1. He is one that does not care to get out of his bed, but seems to be hung upon it, as the door upon the... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 26:15

The sluggard has now, with much ado, got out of his bed, but he might as well have lain there still for any thing he is likely to bring to pass in his work, so awkwardly does he go about it. Observe, 1. The pretence he makes for his slothfulness: He hides his hand in his bosom for fear of cold; next to his warm bed in his warm bosom. Or he pretends that he is lame, as some do that make a trade of begging; something ails his hand; he would have it thought that it is blistered with yesterday's... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 26:16

Observe, 1. The high opinion which the sluggard has of himself, notwithstanding the gross absurdity and folly of his slothfulness: He thinks himself wiser than seven men, than seven wise men, for they are such as can render a reason. It is the wisdom of a man to be able to render a reason, of a good man to be able to give a reason of the hope that is in him, 1 Pet. 3:15. What we do we should be able to render a reason for, though perhaps we may not have wit enough to show the fallacy of every... 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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:14

As the door turneth upon his hinges ,.... And moves this way and that way, and opens and shuts, and yet hangs where it did, is not moved from its place: so doth the slothful upon his bed ; he turns himself from side to side, but is still on his bed, and does not move out of it, and go about his business. Aben Ezra makes mention of another reading and sense, "the door turneth upon his hinges", and is opened to let men out, one and another, to his work; "but yet the slothful man is ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:15

The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom ,.... To keep it warm; Jarchi's note is, "he puts his hand in a hot basin, because of the cold.' The word F3 בצלחת "in patina vel olla", Vatablus; "in patinam", Tigurine version; "lebete", Mercerus; "in paropside", Cocceius; "in paropsidem", Schultens. for "bosom" does sometimes signify a "pot" or basin. Or he hides it under his "arm holes", as some render it, not caring to make use of it for labour; or covers it out of sight in his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:16

The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit ,.... It is a sort of a solecism, a kind of a contradiction in terms for a sluggard to be wise, who is so slothful as to make no use of the means of getting wisdom and knowledge. And it must be a mere conceit in him that he is wise, and especially that he is wiser than seven men that can render a reason ; not alluding to the number of a king's counsellors, who return him an answer to what he inquires of them, as Aben Ezra thinks; such as were... 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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 26:16

Than seven men that can render a reason - Seven here only means perfection, abundance, or multitude. He is wiser in his own eyes than a multitude of the wisest men. "Than seven men that sytt and teach." - Coverdale; i.e., than seven doctors of the law, or heads of the schools of the prophets, who always sat while they taught. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 26:13

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 26:14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 26:15

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 26:16

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

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 26:16

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 26:16

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