Chapter 6

1 Against suretiship, 6 idleness, 12 and mischievousness. 16 Seven things hateful to God. 20 The blessings of obedience. 25 The mischiefs of whoredom.

1. If thou be surety. The custom of suretyship seems to have prevailed from early times. Job speaks of one striking hands to be surety for him (Job 17:3). Judah twice offered to be surety for Benjamin (Gen. 43:9; 44:33).

2. Thou art snared. The one who goes surety for a friend may be snared (1) by promising to be responsible for the payment of a sum larger than he can raise, at least without great distress, and (2) by putting too high a trust in the honesty, ability, and good fortune of his friend. Though Solomon warns against becoming surety (see chs. 11:15; 17:18), he is equally insistent that a man must help his friend and neighbor in time of need (chs. 14:21; 17:17; 18:24; 27:10). A combining of these ideas suggests the following advice: Pledge to a friend in need no more than you can afford at that time, and set the money aside for the duration of the pledge, so that you cannot be faced with a sudden demand for the payment of a sum that is beyond your ability to meet. Friends frequently fail sometimes through carelessness, because they know the burden will fall upon another, sometimes through sickness or poor business ability. Their failure is visited upon the unfortunate surety with all the severity of the law. His house and land, his furniture and clothes, his business and his stock, may all be at the mercy of the creditor. In Solomon’s day, even the surety’s person was not spared. He, his wife, and children, all could be sold into slavery.

3. Deliver thyself. What wonder, then, in view of the dire consequences that might ensue, that the wise man counsels his son to spare no effort to extricate himself from the snare into which his affection for his friend and his youthful inexperience have led him.

Although slavery is no longer the penalty for unwise kindliness in standing guarantor for a friend, Solomon’s words are still important counsel, and should be taught to every young man before he ventures into business life.

6. Go to the ant. Sloth is a surer cause of poverty and woe than being surety for another. The trusted friend may prosper and the pledge never be demanded, but the sluggard is certain of trouble.

7. Having no guide. Solomon was a diligent student of nature (1 Kings 4:33). He was intrigued by the way the ants carried on communal life in perfect order and cooperation, without anyone to oversee the process and dictate the work each member should do. God provides for the needs of the ant as He does for the needs of every living creature (Ps. 145:15, 16), but the ant builds her storehouses and gathers in the bounty by her own diligent labor. The strength, the skill, and the instinctive perseverance of the ant come also from God, the Creator and Upholder of all things.

8. Gathereth her food. There has been much discussion among naturalists and commentators as to whether the ant actually has habits such as here described. It is now established, however, that certain species of ants do store up food.

The LXX has the following interesting addition to v. 8: “Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labours kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.”

9. How long? The purpose in directing the sluggard to the ant is, of course, to shame him into activity. Man has been endowed with a large measure of free will. Instead of being driven by an implanted and imperative instinct, he is expected to use his intelligence and will power to drive him to provide for his needs. Many a sluggard has been shamed into activity by these and similar words, and has found, to his surprise, that work is enjoyable as well as rewarding. Others have continued in sloth and want until their miserable lives came to a dishonorable end.

10. A little slumber. A picture of the lazy man turning over in his bed and saying, “In a little while I will get up and tend to work.” Notice the repetition of this verse in ch. 24:33.

11. One that travelleth. As a traveler sets out upon his journey and perseveres until he reaches his goal, so surely will poverty and want come upon the sluggard. Fortunate circumstances, the help of friends and relatives, may postpone the day of reckoning, but it will surely arrive and come with the irresistible force of a skillful warrior in heavy armor.

12. Naughty. Heb. beliyyaФal, frequently translated “Belial” (Judges 19:22; 20:13; 1 Sam. 1:16; etc.). It denotes “worthlessness.” When connected with “person [Heb. Хadam],” as here, it describes a worthless, good-for-nothing, base man.

Froward mouth. Literally, “crookedness of mouth.” Idleness and sloth often lead to treachery and deceit. The course of the wicked man is marked by perversity of mouth. Not only does such a man lie; he advocates evil and puts a false interpretation upon good. The psalmist describes a similar “crookedness of mouth”: “His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity” (Ps. 10:7).

13. With his eyes. The sly wink of the evildoer seems to reveal depths of infamy. Wicked men have a secret language of their own, and use hands and feet as well as lips and eyes to express themselves to their companions when in the presence of honest men. The whole body of the rogue is often an outward revelation of the inward wickedness. The slouch of the shoulder, the hang of the head, the shuffle of the feet, go with long-indulged depravity.

14. In his heart. The heart of the sinner is perverted so that every thought, every imagination, is tainted with evil. The wicked man is not content to remain wicked himself, but seeks always to draw others into the same trouble that he is in. The amount of time and energy expended in devising mischief, if diverted to gainful employment, would assure him a steady and honest living. However, he seems to be obsessed with the need to think up ever-new schemes for the discomfiture of others.

15. His calamity come. Because the wicked man has devoted his mind, his body, and his time so completely to evil, his case eventually becomes hopeless. Good impulses have been resisted so long that they have no further power to inspire, and he is broken, without remedy.

17. A proud look. Self-exaltation prevents a man from confessing his sin and humbling his soul before God. As long as it persists, salvation is impossible. The proud man is barred from the gates of life just as surely as if God hated him (see Job 21:22; Ps. 18:27; PP 37).

A lying tongue. Our God is a God of truth. Lies cannot harm Him, for He knows all things; but lies can bring great mischief upon His children. The lies of Satan deceived a multitude of angels and robbed heaven of one third of its inhabitants. The same lies turned a happy world into a dreary battlefield upon which most men meet eternal defeat (Rev. 12:4, 7–9). God hates the lies that turn men and women from Him and bring them into the cruel bondage of Satan.

Innocent blood. Murderous hands, a heart overflowing with evil, and feet swift to do mischief are the more active forms of attack upon the innocent (see Gen. 6:5; Isa. 59:7).

19. A false witness. A false witness is a lying tongue that brings unfounded accusations. It is this type of lying that is expressly forbidden by the ninth commandment (Ex. 20:16). Perjury is used to shelter the wrongdoer as well as to oppress the innocent. When justice is perverted by such conniving, it works havoc in a community, both by the direct harm it does and by creating a cynical contempt for law and order.

Soweth discord. Last comes the one who takes a delight in stirring up strife. Some of these mischief-makers tell no lies, yet they produce as much commotion and disharmony as does a liar.

21. About thy neck. Solomon reverts to his warning against strange women (v. 24; cf. ch. 5:3). To keep from yielding to such temptation a man must be on his guard day and night. The good instruction of father and mother must be kept ever in mind.

23. The law is light. Those who regard the law as an arbitrary forbidding of desirable pleasures have an entirely perverted idea. The law is a lamp to enlighten the mind and show the way of happiness, peace, and eternal life (see Ps. 19:8; 119:105).

24. Flattery. A flattering tongue, coquettish eyes, and beauty of face may combine to turn a young man’s head and lead to the dread consequences, ranging from poverty to death, that Solomon proceeds to relate.

27. Fire in his bosom. There is no circumstance that can ever make adultery or fornication right. As fire always burns, so an invasion of another’s home will always bring a blight upon the lives of all concerned (2 Sam. 11–13; PP 723, 727, 728, 737).

30. Despise a thief. Hunger is often regarded as sufficient motive for minor theft, and men may condone the deed, even if they insist upon restoration or even punishment. But adultery imparts a taint that honest men can never forget. It is a sin against a possession that men hold dear, a possession that is sadly depreciated by such a crime. Even if righteousness does not hold back a man from the horrible pitfall of this crime, the consequences of the deed should deter the tempted, hence the emphasis upon the inexorable and implacable nature of the desire for vengeance that is aroused.

32. Lacketh understanding. A man of understanding will carefully weigh the consequences of an act lest by indulgence he bring loss to himself, or lifelong disgrace and shame. The thief who steals because he is hungry has at least a semblance of an excuse for his deed, but even he suffers for his deed (v. 30). But the adulterer can show no necessity for his conduct. Besides, the pleasure he thinks sensual gratification will bring him quickly turns to remorse.

Ellen G. White comments

6    CG 58; Ed 117

6–8CG 59; CT 190; 4T 455

9     ML 143

9–114T 411

28   Ed 136; MH 443

32        AH 327