What is the meaning of Proverbs 6:28? Can a man • The verse opens with a rhetorical question, drawing every reader into self-examination. Scripture consistently reminds us that no one is exempt from moral accountability (Romans 3:23). • By asking “can a man,” the text makes the issue universal—male or female, young or old, the principle applies. Compare the universal language of 1 Corinthians 10:12, “So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall”. • Proverbs often uses questions to expose self-deception (cf. Proverbs 14:12). Here, the question forces us to admit our natural tendency to underestimate sin’s cost (Jeremiah 17:9). walk on hot coals • “Walk” pictures a deliberate, ongoing action. It is not a stumble but a choice to continue in a dangerous path—echoing Proverbs 4:14-15: “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked…turn away from it”. • The “hot coals” are a vivid metaphor for adultery and other moral compromises discussed in Proverbs 6:24-35. Scripture elsewhere links sexual immorality with fire (Job 31:12). • Notice that the coals are visibly dangerous; the folly lies in thinking we can somehow manage the heat. Compare the self-deceived thinking in James 1:14-15, where desire gives birth to sin and sin to death. without scorching his feet? • The expected answer is a clear “No.” Consequences are inescapable, just as touching coals always burns. Galatians 6:7-8 states the same law of sowing and reaping. • The “feet” represent our daily walk. Sin does not merely singe distant parts of life; it burns where we live and move. Romans 6:23 underscores that the wages of sin is death, not inconvenience. • Proverbs 6:29 immediately ties the image to adultery: “So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished”. Numbers 32:23, “be sure your sin will find you out,” reinforces the certainty of divine and practical consequences. summary Proverbs 6:28 answers its own question: choosing sin is choosing pain. Just as no one can stroll across hot coals and stay unburned, no one can entertain moral compromise and avoid damage—to body, soul, relationships, and witness. God’s wisdom invites us to recognize danger early, turn away, and walk the safer path of obedience, trusting that His commands protect rather than restrict. |
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