An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 581 words)
20:006:001 y son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast
stricken thy hand with a stranger,
20:006:002 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken
with the words of thy mouth.
20:006:003 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.
20:006:004 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.
20:006:005 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a
bird from the hand of the fowler.
20:006:006 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
20:006:007 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
20:006:008 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in
the harvest.
20:006:009 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out
of thy sleep?
20:006:010 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the
hands to sleep:
20:006:011 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want
as an armed man.
20:006:012 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.
20:006:013 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he
teacheth with his fingers;
20:006:014 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually;
he soweth discord.
20:006:015 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he
be broken without remedy.
20:006:016 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an
abomination unto him:
20:006:017 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent
blood,
20:006:018 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift
in running to mischief,
20:006:019 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord
among brethren.
20:006:020 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law
of thy mother:
20:006:021 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy
neck.
20:006:022 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it
shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with
thee.
20:006:023 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and
reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
20:006:024 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the
tongue of a strange woman.
20:006:025 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take
thee with her eyelids.
20:006:026 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of
bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.
20:006:027 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be
burned?
20:006:028 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
20:006:029 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever
toucheth her shall not be innocent.
20:006:030 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul
when he is hungry;
20:006:031 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give
all the substance of his house.
20:006:032 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh
understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
20:006:033 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not
be wiped away.
20:006:034 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare
in the day of vengeance.
20:006:035 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content,
though thou givest many gifts.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
The Cascade of Small Compromises
Small compromises create pressure for larger compromises until the person is trapped in a situation they never chose.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to spot when small compromises create pressure for bigger ones, trapping you in situations you never intended.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone asks for a small favor that might require you to bend rules—ask yourself what favor they'll need next if you say yes.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise"
Context: Teaching about work ethic and personal responsibility
This is one of the most famous lines in Proverbs because it's so practical and visual. Solomon doesn't lecture about laziness - he says go watch nature's best example of self-motivated work. The ant doesn't need a boss or motivational speeches.
In Today's Words:
Stop making excuses and watch how successful people actually behave
"Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth"
Context: Warning about the gradual nature of how laziness leads to financial ruin
This captures how procrastination works - it's always just a little more delay, just hitting snooze one more time. But Solomon shows that poverty doesn't announce itself; it creeps up while you're not paying attention.
In Today's Words:
Just five more minutes turns into being broke before you know what hit you
"Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?"
Context: Warning about the inevitable consequences of adultery
This rhetorical question uses a physical impossibility to illustrate a moral certainty. Just as you can't carry fire without getting burned, you can't engage in adultery without destructive consequences. It's about natural cause and effect.
In Today's Words:
You can't play with fire and expect not to get burned
"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him"
Context: Introducing a list of behaviors that destroy communities
The 'six, yea seven' structure is a Hebrew literary device that builds suspense and emphasizes completeness. Solomon isn't just listing pet peeves - these are behaviors that tear apart the social fabric that everyone depends on.
In Today's Words:
Here are the toxic behaviors that destroy communities and relationships
Thematic Threads
Financial Wisdom
In This Chapter
Solomon warns against co-signing loans and emphasizes saving during good times like the ant
Development
Building on earlier wealth-building advice with specific warnings about financial traps
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when someone asks you to guarantee their debt or when you're not saving because times feel good right now
Personal Responsibility
In This Chapter
The ant works without supervision while the sluggard needs constant external motivation
Development
Expanding the self-discipline theme with concrete examples of internal vs external motivation
In Your Life:
You see this in whether you do good work when no one's watching or need constant supervision to function
Social Manipulation
In This Chapter
Solomon describes people who communicate through eye-rolling, body language, and stirring up drama
Development
Introduced here as a specific type of destructive person to avoid
In Your Life:
You encounter this with people who never say what they mean directly but always seem to create tension in groups
Consequences
In This Chapter
Both the manipulator and the adulterer face sudden, severe consequences after long patterns
Development
Reinforcing that actions have delayed but inevitable results
In Your Life:
You might see this when someone who's gotten away with bad behavior for years suddenly faces serious consequences
Sexual Boundaries
In This Chapter
Adultery is compared to carrying fire or walking on coals—inevitable injury
Development
Introduced here with vivid physical metaphors about the certainty of consequences
In Your Life:
You recognize this when attracted to someone inappropriate and need to understand it will definitely cause damage
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Solomon gives urgent advice about getting out of financial guarantees you've made for others - why does he say to 'humble yourself' and 'press your plea' rather than just quietly handle it?
analysis • surface - 2
What's the difference between how ants work (without supervision, storing for winter) and how the sluggard operates? Why does Solomon say poverty comes 'like a thief'?
analysis • medium - 3
Solomon describes people who communicate through eye signals, foot gestures, and finger pointing to stir up trouble. Where do you see this kind of indirect manipulation happening today?
application • medium - 4
The chapter warns about carrying 'fire in your bosom' - making choices that seem manageable but inevitably lead to getting burned. What's a modern example of this pattern, and how would you help someone recognize they're heading toward consequences?
application • deep - 5
Solomon shows how small compromises create pressure for bigger ones until you're trapped in situations you never intended. What does this reveal about how people actually make life-changing decisions?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Compromise Cascade
Think of a situation in your life where you made one small compromise that led to another, then another. Map out the chain: what was the first 'harmless' choice, what pressure did it create for the next choice, and where did the pattern ultimately lead? Then identify where you could have stopped the cascade early.
Consider:
- •Focus on the logic that made each step feel reasonable at the time
- •Notice how each compromise made the next one feel more necessary
- •Look for the moment when stopping would have been embarrassing but manageable
Journaling Prompt
Write about a compromise cascade you see starting in your life right now. What would Solomon's advice to 'humble yourself and press your plea' look like in your specific situation?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 7: The Seduction Trap
Solomon continues his father-to-son teaching style, emphasizing the importance of keeping wisdom close and accessible. The focus shifts to how wisdom protects us from life's most dangerous temptations.
