Proverbs 6

My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger,

you are trapped by the words of your mouth; you are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, since you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—

so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth,

who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers,

in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

My son, keep your father’s commandment, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.

Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

Men don’t despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry,

but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won’t spare in the day of vengeance.

He won’t regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. This chapter warns against the dangers of financial entanglement, laziness, deceit, and sexual immorality, urging wisdom through practical examples and moral instruction. It moves from personal responsibility to broader ethical warnings, anchoring all in the fear of the Lord and the authority of parental teaching.

Flow.

Begins with a warning against becoming surety for a neighbor, urging swift action to escape the snare of one’s own words.
Shifts to a contrast between the diligent ant and the sluggard, emphasizing the urgency of labor and self-discipline.
Identifies the troublemaker who spreads discord through deceitful signs and schemes, culminating in sudden destruction.
Lists seven sins the Lord detests, then returns to the son with commands to uphold parental instruction, especially in avoiding the adulteress.

Connections. Following chapter 5, which warns against the seductive stranger and the covenant of marriage, this chapter expands on the consequences of moral failure—first in financial and social responsibility, then in personal diligence, and finally in sexual purity. The emphasis on the teaching of parents () echoes the opening exhortations of the book (), reinforcing the continuity of instruction. The warnings against the adulteress pick up directly from chapter 5 and set the stage for the more detailed portrait of her in chapter 7, which culminates in the tragic fate of the naive man.

What it teaches. The chapter underscores the moral order established by God, in which human conduct has inevitable consequences. Surety for others leads to bondage (WCF 6.5), while laziness brings poverty (HC LD 39). The portrait of the wicked man reflects a heart opposed to God’s law (WCF 9.3), and the seven abominations () reveal the depth of divine hatred for pride, falsehood, and broken fellowship—especially among brothers (Belgic Confession, Art. 24). The commandments are not burdens but safeguards, likened to light and a lamp (WCF 19.2), preserving life and directing steps. Sexual sin is presented not merely as a moral lapse but as a self-destructive act, severing wisdom, safety, and honor (Canons of Dort 3–4.8).

Apply. Flee the slow drift into obligation, indolence, and temptation by pursuing diligence, humility, and constant attentiveness to God’s word.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.