Proverbs 6:6–11
Look at the ant, who with no boss prepares her bread; for the lazy, poverty arrives like a drifter
Study it word by word6Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise;
7which, having no chief, supervisor, or ruler,
8prepares in the summer her bread; she gathers at the harvest her food.
9How long, sluggard, will you lie there? When will you rise from your sleep?
10A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down,
11and your poverty will come like a prowler, and your need like a man with a shield.
In its context
4Do not give sleep to your eyes, or slumber to your eyelids.
5Free yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
…
12A perverse person, a man of wickedness, goes about with perversity of mouth;
13he winks with his eyes, he scrapes with his feet, he points with his fingers;
Its words in the original
- לֵךְlech· go, walk
Go, walk, depart; in the causative form, lead or bring.
- נְמָלָהnemala· ant
An ant.
- עָצֵלatsel· sluggard, lazy
Lazy, sluggish; the sluggard, one who will not work.
- רְאֵהree· see
See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".
- דְרָכֶיderache· way
Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.
- חֲכָםchacham· be wise
Be wise, act wisely; in Exodus 1:10, act shrewdly.
- קָצִיןkatsin· commander, leader
Commander: the one who gives orders and decides; a leader of troops.
- שֹׁטֵרshoter· supervisor
Supervisor: an official who keeps order and oversees others; in Egypt, the Israelite in charge of his own people's work who answered to the taskmasters (Exodus 5:14); in Israel, officials beside the judges and the elders (Deuteronomy 16:18).
- מֹשֵׁלmoshel· rule
Rule, have dominion or authority over something or someone.
- תָּכִיןtachin· be firm, prepare
Be firm, be set, be ready; in the causative form, set up, establish, prepare, make ready.
- קַּיִץkayits· summer; summer fruit
Summer; also the fruit that ripens in summer.
- לַחְמָlachma· bread, food
Bread; in a wide sense, food.
- אָגְרָהagra· gather
Gather in and store the harvest.
- קָּצִירkatsir· harvest
Harvest, reaping; the crop and its season; also a branch.
- מַאֲכָלָmaachala· food
Food.
- מָתַיmatay· when?
When? How long?
- תִּשְׁכָּבtishkav· lie down
Lie down: to sleep, or for sexual relations ("lie with"). "Lie down with one's fathers" is to die.
- תָּקוּםtakum· rise, stand, establish
Rise, stand up; also stand firm, establish or fulfill something. "Rise against" is to attack.
- שְּׁנָתֶshenate· sleep
Sleep.
- מְעַטmeat· little, few
A little; few.
- 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.
- 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.
- מְהַלֵּךְmehalech· go, walk
Go, walk, come. Figuratively, the way one lives ("walk with God").
- רֵאשֶׁreshe· poverty
Poverty, lack of what is needed.
- מַחְסֹרְmachsor· need, lack
Need, lack: what someone is missing.
- 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").
- מָגֵןmagen· shield
Shield. Figuratively, one who protects.