What is the meaning of Proverbs 6:10? A little sleep “ ‘A little sleep…’ ” (Proverbs 6:10a) • The verse starts with something seemingly harmless: just a short nap. Scripture treats sleep as a good gift (Psalm 127:2), yet even good gifts can be misused when they push duty aside. • Proverbs 6:9 has just asked, “How long will you lie there, O sluggard?”—showing that repeated small choices, not one-time necessity, are the problem. • Proverbs 20:13 warns, “Do not love sleep, lest you become poor; keep your eyes open and you will have plenty of food”. Loving the pillow more than the plow leads to need. • The New Testament echoes the same principle: “So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). Even spiritual alertness suffers when we keep hitting the snooze button. a little slumber “ ‘…a little slumber…’ ” (Proverbs 6:10b) • The repetition intensifies the warning. “Slumber” pictures deeper disengagement, an attitude of indifference toward responsibility. • Proverbs 10:4 notes, “Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth”. Slumber blurs the line between rest and idleness, and poverty slips in quietly. • Proverbs 13:4 adds, “The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied”. Desire without effort is futile; slumber steals both time and opportunity. • Paul applies the same truth to ministry and work: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Physical laziness and spiritual sluggishness go hand in hand. a little folding of the hands to rest “ ‘…a little folding of the hands to rest,’ ” (Proverbs 6:10c) • Folding the hands is a deliberate posture—it signals, “I’m done for now.” The danger lies in postponement that soon becomes a pattern. • Ecclesiastes 4:5 paints the picture starkly: “The fool folds his hands and consumes his own flesh”. Self-indulgent ease ultimately devours what it seeks to protect. • Proverbs 24:33–34 repeats this proverb verbatim and immediately adds, “and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like a bandit”. Small choices snowball into big consequences. • Ephesians 5:14 calls believers to wake up: “Sleeper, awake! Rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you”. Our hands belong on the plow (Luke 9:62), not tucked away in comfort. summary Each phrase in Proverbs 6:10 stacks a tiny excuse atop the last, showing how leisurely neglect turns into crippling poverty—financially, morally, and spiritually. Scripture consistently warns that repeated “little” compromises lull the heart to sleep, invite need, and stunt growth. Choosing diligence over delay honors God’s design, safeguards provision, and keeps us spiritually alert. |
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