Proverbs 24:30–34
The wise one sees the lazy man's field full of thorns and takes the lesson
Study it word by word30I passed by the field of a sluggard, and by the vineyard of a man lacking sense;
31and look, it had all grown up in thistles; nettles covered its surface, and its wall of stones was broken down.
32And I looked; I set my heart to it; I saw; I received correction.
33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down,
34and your poverty will come like a prowler, and your need like a man with a shield.
In its context
28Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause; and would you deceive with your lips?
29Do not say, “As he did to me, so I will do to him; I will repay the man according to his work.”
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Its words in the original
- שְׂדֵהsede· field
Field: open country, cultivated or not.
- אִישׁish· man, husband, each
Man, male; with a possessive, husband. Also "each one", "anyone". It is "ish", distinct from "adam" (human being); it is used for the man in contrast with the woman ("ishah").
- עָצֵלatsel· sluggard, lazy
Lazy, sluggish; the sluggard, one who will not work.
- עָבַרְתִּיavarti· pass, cross over
Pass by, pass through, cross over; also go beyond, transgress (a command). In the causative form, make pass, bring across, take away.
- כֶּרֶםkerem· vineyard
Vineyard.
- אָדָםadam· human being, man, Adam
The Hebrew word "adam". It has three uses: (1) humanity in general, men and women alike: "human beings" (Genesis 1:27); (2) a particular man; in Genesis 2-4, the first man, "the man"; (3) the personal name of that first man, "Adam". In Hebrew "adam" sounds like "adamah", the ground he was formed from (Genesis 2:7).
- חֲסַרchasar· lacking
Lacking something, wanting in. "Lacking heart" is one who has no sense.
- לֵבlev· heart
Heart. In Hebrew it is not only the place of feelings: it is the center of the person, where one thinks, decides and wills; also the middle of something.
- עָלָהala· go up, offer up
Go up, ascend, climb. It is also used for "offering" a sacrifice (making it go up), and for coming up from Egypt.
- קִמְּשֹׂנִיםkimsonim· thorn, nettle
A thorny weed, a nettle.
- כָּסּוּkasu· cover
Cover, hide; also cover over (sin), conceal.
- פָנָיfanay· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- חֲרֻלִּיםcharulim· nettles, weeds
Nettles or another thorny weed.
- גֶדֶרgeder· stone wall
A wall, a fence of stones.
- אֲבָנָיavanay· stone
Stone; also a weight for scales.
- נֶהֱרָסָהneherasa· tear down; break through
Tear down, throw down; also break through by force.
- אֶחֱזֶהecheze· see, look
See, look closely; used above all for what a prophet sees in a vision. Also look for and choose (Exodus 18:21).
- אָשִׁיתashit· put, set
Put, place, set; appoint.
- רָאִיתִיraiti· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- לָקַחְתִּיlakachti· take
Take: seize, take along, receive. Also "take a wife" (marry).
- מוּסָרmusar· discipline, correction
Discipline: teaching that straightens, sometimes with punishment; it comes from the verb "discipline."
- מְעַטmeat· little, few
A little; few.
- שֵׁנוֹתshenot· sleep
Sleep.
- תְּנוּמוֹתtenumot· slumber
Drowsiness, light sleep.
- חִבֻּקchibuk· folding of the hands
A folding of the hands, the gesture of one who lies down to rest and does nothing.
- יָדַיִםyadayim· hand, power
Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.
- שְׁכָּבshekav· lie down
Lie down: to sleep, or for sexual relations ("lie with"). "Lie down with one's fathers" is to die.
- בָאva· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- מִתְהַלֵּךְmithalech· go, walk
Go, walk, come. Figuratively, the way one lives ("walk with God").
- רֵישֶׁreshe· poverty
Poverty, lack of what is needed.
- מַחְסֹרֶיmachsore· need, lack
Need, lack: what someone is missing.
- מָגֵןmagen· shield
Shield. Figuratively, one who protects.