Proverbs 20:13 kjv
Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
Proverbs 20:13 nkjv
Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; Open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.
Proverbs 20:13 niv
Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.
Proverbs 20:13 esv
Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
Proverbs 20:13 nlt
If you love sleep, you will end in poverty.
Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!
Proverbs 20 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prov 6:6-11 | Go to the ant, O sluggard...Poverty will come upon you like a robber. | Laziness leads to inevitable poverty. |
| Prov 10:4-5 | A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. | Direct link between diligence and wealth. |
| Prov 12:11 | Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues worthless pursuits lacks sense. | Working diligently brings sustenance. |
| Prov 12:24 | The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor. | Diligence leads to leadership, laziness to servitude. |
| Prov 13:4 | The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. | Sluggards' desires unfulfilled; diligent rewarded. |
| Prov 14:23 | In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. | Hard work brings gain, talk brings want. |
| Prov 15:19 | The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway. | Laziness creates obstacles, uprightness removes them. |
| Prov 19:15 | Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. | Idleness and excessive sleep lead to hunger. |
| Prov 21:5 | The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. | Diligent planning ensures prosperity. |
| Prov 24:30-34 | I passed by the field of a sluggard...behold, it was all overgrown with thorns...poverty will come upon you. | Visual example of laziness leading to ruin. |
| Prov 26:13-16 | The sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road!"...Like a door swinging on its hinges, so does a sluggard turn on his bed. | Excuses and ingrained habits of laziness. |
| Gen 3:19 | By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread... | God's mandate for labor after the Fall. |
| Psa 128:2 | You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. | Labor blessed by God brings good. |
| Ecc 9:10 | Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might... | Exhortation to do work diligently. |
| Matt 25:26-30 | But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant!...' threw him into the outer darkness. | Parable of talents; condemnation of idleness. |
| Rom 12:11 | Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. | Call to spiritual and practical diligence. |
| Eph 4:28 | Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands... | Encourages honest work for provision and sharing. |
| 1 Thes 4:11-12 | ...to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands...so that you may walk properly before outsiders... | Peaceful and reputable living through diligent work. |
| 2 Thes 3:10 | If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. | Clear divine principle on work and provision. |
| 1 Tim 5:8 | But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his own household, he has denied the faith. | Responsibility to provide through work. |
| Heb 6:11-12 | We desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish. | Exhortation against spiritual sluggishness. |
| 1 Pet 4:7 | But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. | Encouragement for vigilance, includes being active and prepared. |
| Phil 2:12 | Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. | Spiritual diligence in working out one's faith. |
| Col 3:23-24 | Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance. | Work diligently as service to God, for His reward. |
| Tit 3:14 | And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. | Good works prevent unproductivity and help others. |
Proverbs 20 verses
Proverbs 20 13 Meaning
Proverbs 20:13 serves as a direct admonition against laziness, specifically an excessive fondness for sleep, which leads to destitution. Conversely, it promotes active diligence, vigilance, and keen observation as the path to securing abundant provision and satisfying sustenance. It highlights the principle that hard work, coupled with an alert mind, brings material and perhaps even spiritual blessings.
Proverbs 20 13 Context
Proverbs 20 is part of the "Proverbs of Solomon," a collection of wise sayings designed to impart practical wisdom for living a godly life. The chapter itself touches on various themes, including righteous governance (v. 2, 8), the nature of the wicked (v. 7), honest weights (v. 10), the power of speech (v. 19), and self-control (v. 1). Verse 13 fits within a broader emphasis in the book of Proverbs on the value of diligence, foresight, and disciplined effort, contrasting them sharply with sloth and negligence, repeatedly associating the latter with poverty, shame, and ruin. The immediate cultural context assumes an agrarian or manual labor society where diligent effort directly correlated with the harvest and daily provision. This proverb served as a counter to any tendencies toward idleness, urging an active, engaged participation in one's life and responsibilities, understanding that material blessing often follows faithful exertion.
Proverbs 20 13 Word analysis
- Love (אַהֲבָה - 'ahavah): This word denotes a strong affection or desire, not merely an action. It implies a deep-seated inclination towards something. In this context, it highlights that the issue isn't accidental sleep but a preferred, indulgent, or excessive attachment to idleness.
- not sleep (לֹא שֵׁנָה - lo sheinah): 'שֵׁנָה' (sheinah) means 'sleep' but often implies more than necessary rest; it carries connotations of idleness, drowsiness, or slumber that hinders productivity. The negation 'לֹא' (lo) emphasizes the prohibition against desiring or embracing such a state.
- lest (פֶּן - pen): This particle expresses fear, caution, or a negative consequence. It warns of the immediate and undesired outcome of the preceding action.
- you come to poverty (תִּוָּרֵשׁ - tivvarash): This is a verbal form meaning "to become poor," "to be dispossessed," or "to be brought to destitution." It signifies a state of lack and need, often encompassing not just financial destitution but also a lack of resources and well-being.
- open your eyes (פְּקַח עֵינֶיךָ - pekach eyneikha): This is an imperative command, meaning "unseal," "open," "pay attention." While literally "open your eyes," it strongly implies being alert, vigilant, discerning, and aware of opportunities and responsibilities. It suggests a proactive, awakened state of mind and spirit.
- and you will have plenty of bread (וּשְׂבַע לָחֶם - u'svah lachem): 'וּשְׂבַע' (u'svah) means "to be satisfied," "to have enough," or "to be filled." 'לָחֶם' (lachem) is 'bread,' which in biblical culture frequently stands for all essential food and provision, encompassing general well-being and sustenance.
Words-group analysis:
- "Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty": This phrase warns against adopting an attitude where idleness and extended sleep become a preferred lifestyle. The "love" highlights an inclination or habitual choice. The immediate and inevitable consequence is economic and perhaps spiritual or social impoverishment. It's a cause-and-effect statement about neglecting responsibility due to sloth.
- "open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread": This presents the antidote and its reward. "Open your eyes" is a command for active vigilance, mental alertness, and keen perception to identify and seize opportunities or attend to necessary tasks. It is not merely physical wakefulness but intellectual and volitional readiness. The reward is "plenty of bread," signifying not just survival but sufficient provision and satisfaction, indicating divine blessing on human effort and diligence.
Proverbs 20 13 Bonus section
This proverb highlights the theological truth that while God is the ultimate provider (Phil 4:19), He generally blesses human diligence and effort, not idleness. Work is a God-ordained activity, not merely a result of the Fall (Gen 2:15). Therefore, a "love for sleep" that impedes work or responsibility is a moral and practical failing. The contrast between sleep/poverty and open eyes/plenty of bread is characteristic of wisdom literature, presenting clear consequences for wise versus foolish choices. Spiritually, "opening one's eyes" can also denote spiritual discernment and vigilance against sin and spiritual complacency (Eph 5:14). The wisdom of Proverbs often uses common, practical examples to teach profound principles that extend beyond the purely material realm.
Proverbs 20 13 Commentary
Proverbs 20:13 is a straightforward call to diligence and a warning against the seductive pull of idleness. It presents two starkly contrasting paths and their respective outcomes: succumbing to an excessive desire for sleep leads directly to destitution, while actively embracing wakefulness and vigilance results in abundance. The "love" for sleep indicates a deeply ingrained habit or preference for laziness over productive labor, signifying a disposition that prefers ease over responsibility. This is not about normal, necessary rest, but a culpable embrace of unproductive slumber. "Poverty" encompasses more than just financial lack; it signifies a state of deprivation, want, and even social and spiritual decline. The antidote is to "open your eyes"—an imperative that demands not just physical alertness but intellectual awareness, moral vigilance, and a keen discernment to see tasks, opportunities, and dangers. This awakened state, when applied to one's responsibilities, is the gateway to "plenty of bread," symbolizing not just mere sufficiency but a state of satisfied abundance and provision, reflecting God's blessing upon conscientious effort. The proverb underscores a foundational biblical principle: human effort and diligence, undertaken in wisdom, are integral to God's ordained process of provision and flourishing. It is a powerful reminder that while God provides, He often does so through the hands and minds of those who are diligent.Examples include:
- A farmer who diligently wakes early to tend to his fields yields a good harvest, unlike one who prefers to sleep late.
- A student who stays vigilant in study and revision will achieve academic success, unlike one who constantly procrastinates for leisure.
- A Christian who is "awake" spiritually, studying Scripture and serving, experiences spiritual nourishment and fruitfulness, unlike one who becomes lethargic in faith.