What is the meaning of Proverbs 19:15? Laziness brings on deep sleep “Laziness brings on deep sleep” (Proverbs 19:15a). The verse pictures a person who chooses ease over effort and gradually slips into a dull, unresponsive state. • Proverbs 6:9-10 reminds us, “How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep?” Like a door that only swings on its hinges (Proverbs 26:14), the slothful remain in motion yet go nowhere. • Sleep here is more than physical rest; it is a spirit of complacency. Romans 13:11 calls believers to “wake up from your slumber” because spiritual opportunities pass while we doze. • Continued inaction deadens sensitivity to God’s promptings. Proverbs 20:13 cautions, “Do not love sleep, lest you grow poor; open your eyes and you will have plenty of food.” The pattern is clear: laziness → prolonged inactivity → missed provision. And an idle soul will suffer hunger “An idle soul will suffer hunger” (Proverbs 19:15b). Idleness drains resources until need becomes unavoidable. • Proverbs 10:4 observes, “Idle hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” God designed work as the normal means of provision (Genesis 2:15). • Proverbs 20:4 notes that the sluggard “does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.” Hunger is not a random misfortune but a foreseeable result. • The principle carries into the New Testament: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Paul ties physical need to personal responsibility, reinforcing the proverb’s warning. • Idleness also produces spiritual hunger. Proverbs 13:4 says, “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.” Spiritual fulfillment accompanies faithful, obedient effort. Summary Proverbs 19:15 paints a straightforward cause-and-effect: choose laziness, and you drift into a numbing sleep; persist in idleness, and hunger—physical and spiritual—follows. God’s wisdom urges alertness and diligent labor, promising both material provision and inner satisfaction to those who heed His counsel. |
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