Proverbs 19:24 kjv

A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

Proverbs 19:24 nkjv

A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

Proverbs 19:24 niv

A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

Proverbs 19:24 esv

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish and will not even bring it back to his mouth.

Proverbs 19:24 nlt

Lazy people take food in their hand
but don't even lift it to their mouth.

Proverbs 19 verses

Proverbs 19 24 Meaning

Proverbs 19:24 powerfully portrays the extreme lethargy of the sluggard, whose idleness is so profound that even with his hand already in a dish of food, he lacks the basic energy or will to lift it the short distance to his mouth for nourishment. This illustrates an almost debilitating self-neglect and an utter unwillingness to exert minimal effort, even for one's own basic survival and sustenance. It emphasizes the complete paralysis that can result from unchecked laziness.

Proverbs 19 24 Context

Proverbs chapter 19 is part of the collection of Solomonic proverbs, offering wisdom on a wide array of human conduct and its consequences. The chapter addresses themes such as truthfulness, justice, integrity, anger management, and crucially, the stark contrast between diligence and laziness, and their respective outcomes. Verse 24 stands as a powerful image within a larger theme (seen in verses 15, 20, 21, 28) that warns against indolence. The historical and cultural context for ancient Israel underlines the severe implications of laziness. In an agrarian, subsistence-based society, food, shelter, and survival were direct results of consistent manual labor. Communal meals, often served from a shared bowl (sallaḥat), were a norm. For an individual to neglect eating, even when food was immediately accessible, would signify an extreme, almost pathological, detachment from the very mechanisms of life and societal participation. Such a proverb served as a stark warning, confronting any cultural tendencies towards idleness and strongly advocating for personal responsibility and productive effort as vital for individual and communal well-being.

Proverbs 19 24 Word analysis

• The sluggard (עָצֵל, ‘āṣēl): This Hebrew term is not merely someone who enjoys rest, but one characterized by habitual idleness, reluctance to exert effort, and a lack of diligence. Proverbs repeatedly uses this figure as a negative example, demonstrating his predictable path to poverty, ruin, and discontentment. His very nature is defined by inertia and a general aversion to productive activity.
• buries (טָמַן, tāman): This verb means "to hide," "to conceal," or "to bury." The choice of verb implies more than just resting or laying the hand down; it suggests an active concealment or immobilizing of the hand. It is as if the sluggard is actively making his hand unproductive, rendering it useless for the very purpose it is needed for. This intensifies the image of profound and intentional inaction.
• his hand (יָדוֹ, yādô): The hand is a foundational symbol of labor, productivity, action, and capacity to perform tasks. In the sluggard's case, this instrument of self-sustenance and contribution is tragically rendered ineffective, deeply entrenched in inactivity even when surrounded by the means of basic survival.
• in the dish (בַּצַּלַּחַת, baṣṣallaḥat): This refers to a shallow bowl, plate, or communal serving dish. This detail highlights that food is immediately available, close at hand, and requiring minimal effort. It disproves any external barriers to eating, placing the fault squarely on the sluggard's internal inertia. While the KJV translates this as "bosom" (a fold of clothing used as a pocket), scholarly consensus generally favors "dish" given the context of eating and the mouth. Both interpretations convey the proximity of sustenance without effort required to acquire it from afar.
• he will not even bring it back to his mouth: This phrase intensifies the preceding imagery, highlighting the astonishing depth of the sluggard's paralysis. The "even" (גַּם, gam) emphasizes the shock factor: the effort required is minuscule – merely lifting his hand from the dish to his mouth – yet he is unwilling to do it. This signifies a profound level of self-neglect, a near-pathological lack of drive, and utter indifference to his own basic physical well-being. It underscores the destructive, self-defeating nature of extreme indolence.

Words-group analysis:

• "The sluggard buries his hand in the dish": This vivid scene portrays the initial state of the sluggard's profound idleness. His most active tool—his hand—is incapacitated, literally submerged and hidden in the source of potential nourishment. This suggests a total cessation of productive action and a refusal to engage with opportunities directly presented to him, illustrating his foundational aversion to effort.
• "he will not even bring it back to his mouth": This completes the grim portrait, escalating the previous image from mere idleness to a terrifying extreme of self-neglect. It means the sluggard's laziness is not just an unwillingness to work hard or produce for others, but a deeply ingrained, paralyzing inaction that threatens his own survival and well-being. It conveys a tragic inability or refusal to perform the most rudimentary act of self-preservation, demonstrating the destructive, consuming nature of his sloth.

Proverbs 19 24 Bonus section

• The hyperbolic nature of this proverb (it's an exaggeration that no one would truly die this way) makes its point incredibly memorable and forceful. It is designed to shock the listener into understanding the self-destructive end-point of laziness.
• The proverb illustrates a complete failure in basic self-care, which can also apply spiritually. A person might be "in the dish" – meaning, within a church, surrounded by biblical teachings, and having access to all means of grace (Word, prayer, fellowship) – yet be too "lazy" to engage, study, pray, or grow, thus not "bringing it to their mouth" for spiritual nourishment.
• The imagery of "burying" the hand connects subtly with the parable of the talents (Matt 25), where the unfaithful servant "hid" or "buried" his master's money, demonstrating a similar principle of fear, sloth, or an unwillingness to invest effort and produce.

Proverbs 19 24 Commentary

Proverbs 19:24 is a profoundly ironic and biting critique of extreme laziness. It uses hyperbole to expose the utterly paralyzing nature of sloth, demonstrating that the sluggard’s disinclination to exert effort extends even to the point of neglecting his own fundamental need for food. The image is one of profound internal resistance, where the smallest, most natural motion—from dish to mouth—is met with an almost unbelievable inertia. This proverb transcends mere physical work; it speaks to a deep spiritual and moral apathy, a spiritual inertia that prevents engagement even with readily available blessings. It serves as a stark warning: unchecked idleness can lead to an inability to embrace or benefit from what is given, ultimately bringing about ruin. True wisdom calls for diligence and responsible action, even in the smallest aspects of life.