Pro 26:13 | KingComments | STEP | are about the sluggard ( ). We see an increasing passivity. First he does not come out of his house ( ). Then he doesn’t get out of his bed ( ). Finally, he doesn’t even take his hand out of a dish of food ( ). There is no movement at all and no movement is to be expected. He deludes himself that circumstances do not allow him to work ( ). The sluggard is work-shy, and he who is work-shy makes up the most absurd excuses for not working ( ). He sees danger everywhere, on the road and in the open square. He sees everywhere the opposition of the devil, of whom the lion is a picture ( ), who prevents him from working. The real excuse, however, is not fear, but laziness. The sluggard is as firmly attached to his bed as “a door ... on its hinge” ( ). It is as impossible for him to get loose from his bed as a door is from its hinge. The sluggard hinges, as it were, on his bed. Just as a door moves back and forth but does not move from its place, so the sluggard wallows from one side to the other. A door still has a function, it opens and closes, while the sluggard remains functionless. The sluggard is even too lazy to bring the food he has taken in his hand out of the dish “to his mouth again” ( ). In Proverbs 19:24 there is a similar verse, but just a little more vague. Here it is stated more strongly. Burying his hand in the dish has cost him so much energy that he is exhausted. Here the wise pokes fun at the sluggard. It is a laughable depiction of things. The purpose of the exaggeration is also to make it clear to the sluggard that he is making himself ridiculous. We can see in this a picture of people who are too lazy to examine God’s Word. They know about it, they stick their hand in, they can quote a text – of course, one that suits them – but they don’t eat it. Studying it is too much work. The sluggard is filled with self-conceit ( ). He is very pleased with his laziness and considers his view of life better than that of those who strive to gain life wisdom and thereby become wise. In his eyes, these are stupid people. Work is for the stupid, in his opinion. Of course, he thinks his laziness is perfectly justified. He takes siesta all day and preaches that as the highest good for himself. He believes so firmly in his own wisdom that no one can convince him of anything else. Even seven (wise) men – symbolizing a fullness of wisdom ( ; ) – are unable to make him see the folly and antisociality of his laziness. His laziness has taken his mind away from him. He is beyond reason. The discreet answer of seven wise men does not reach him. Any admonition in his direction is blocked by his complacency.

‏ Proverbs 26:13

The Lazy Fool

Pro 26:13-16 are about the sluggard (Pro 6:6-11 ; Pro 24:30-34). We see an increasing passivity. First he does not come out of his house (Pro 26:13). Then he doesn’t get out of his bed (Pro 26:14). Finally, he doesn’t even take his hand out of a dish of food (Pro 26:15). There is no movement at all and no movement is to be expected.

He deludes himself that circumstances do not allow him to work (Pro 26:13). The sluggard is work-shy, and he who is work-shy makes up the most absurd excuses for not working (Pro 22:13). He sees danger everywhere, on the road and in the open square. He sees everywhere the opposition of the devil, of whom the lion is a picture (1Pet 5:8), who prevents him from working. The real excuse, however, is not fear, but laziness.

The sluggard is as firmly attached to his bed as “a door ... on its hinge” (Pro 26:14). It is as impossible for him to get loose from his bed as a door is from its hinge. The sluggard hinges, as it were, on his bed. Just as a door moves back and forth but does not move from its place, so the sluggard wallows from one side to the other. A door still has a function, it opens and closes, while the sluggard remains functionless.

The sluggard is even too lazy to bring the food he has taken in his hand out of the dish “to his mouth again” (Pro 26:15). In Proverbs 19:24 there is a similar verse, but just a little more vague. Here it is stated more strongly. Burying his hand in the dish has cost him so much energy that he is exhausted. Here the wise pokes fun at the sluggard. It is a laughable depiction of things. The purpose of the exaggeration is also to make it clear to the sluggard that he is making himself ridiculous.

We can see in this a picture of people who are too lazy to examine God’s Word. They know about it, they stick their hand in, they can quote a text – of course, one that suits them – but they don’t eat it. Studying it is too much work.

The sluggard is filled with self-conceit (Pro 26:16). He is very pleased with his laziness and considers his view of life better than that of those who strive to gain life wisdom and thereby become wise. In his eyes, these are stupid people. Work is for the stupid, in his opinion. Of course, he thinks his laziness is perfectly justified. He takes siesta all day and preaches that as the highest good for himself.

He believes so firmly in his own wisdom that no one can convince him of anything else. Even seven (wise) men – symbolizing a fullness of wisdom (Ezra 7:14; Est 1:14-15) – are unable to make him see the folly and antisociality of his laziness. His laziness has taken his mind away from him. He is beyond reason. The discreet answer of seven wise men does not reach him. Any admonition in his direction is blocked by his complacency.