Proverbs 26:15 kjv

The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

Proverbs 26:15 nkjv

The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.

Proverbs 26:15 niv

A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.

Proverbs 26:15 esv

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.

Proverbs 26:15 nlt

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

Proverbs 26 verses

Proverbs 26 15 Meaning

Proverbs 26:15 graphically portrays the extreme and debilitating nature of the sluggard's idleness. It illustrates a person so profoundly lazy that, having placed their hand deep into a food dish, they lack the willpower or energy to bring that very hand back to their mouth to eat. This vivid hyperbole underscores an incapacitating inertia that prevents even the most basic act of self-sustenance, highlighting the self-destructive consequences of chronic sloth.

Proverbs 26 15 Context

Proverbs chapter 26 is largely dedicated to illustrating the characteristics and folly of fools and sluggards, often employing hyperbole and ironic reversals. Verses 13-16 specifically focus on the sluggard, emphasizing their excuses (v.13) and the utter stagnation their idleness causes (v.14). Verse 15, found within this focused section, is nearly identical to Proverbs 19:24, highlighting the repeated importance of this vivid imagery. The historical and cultural context for the original audience, predominantly agrarian and interdependent, valued diligence, productivity, and the shared responsibility of labor for survival and societal well-being. Idleness would have been seen as a grave dereliction of duty, threatening not only personal welfare but also community stability. There isn't a direct polemic against specific contemporary false beliefs, but rather an implicit critique of any cultural attitude that would condone or encourage such extreme and self-destructive inactivity, standing in opposition to the divine wisdom that values diligent labor.

Proverbs 26 15 Word analysis

• The sluggard (עָצֵל, 'atsel): This Hebrew term frequently appears in Proverbs, describing a person who is habitually lazy, sluggish, and indolent. It implies a deep-seated unwillingness to work, rather than mere tiredness or a temporary lack of energy. This characteristic is often portrayed as a moral failing rather than simply a physical state, leading to ruin.

• buries (טָמַן, taman): This verb means to hide, conceal, or bury. Here, it vividly suggests the sluggard plunging their hand deeply into the dish, implying a certain level of effort in placing it there, but then a subsequent and greater failure to move it again. It denotes an act that precedes a profound and baffling inactivity.

• his hand (יָדוֹ, yado): The hand is universally a symbol of action, work, power, and effort. The image of the hand, which should be the instrument of labor and self-provision, being "buried" and immobilized, highlights the complete incapacitation caused by laziness.

• in the dish (בַּצַּלַּחַת, batsallachath): Refers to a bowl or platter, typically containing food. The object signifies basic human sustenance. The irony is profound: the sluggard is in close proximity to the means of their nourishment, but their idleness prevents them from consuming it.

• he is too lazy (נִלְאָה, nil'ah): Derived from a root meaning "to be weary," "exhausted," or "fatigued." However, in this context, it describes an unwillingness to exert even minimal effort, rather than a physical inability. It indicates a spiritual or moral fatigue that prevents even necessary action. This "weariness" is self-induced or born of deep-seated apathy.

• to bring it back (לַהֲשִׁיבָהּ, lahashivah): Meaning "to return it," "to bring it back." It refers to the simple, almost automatic action of lifting the hand, filled with food, from the dish. The failure to complete this trivial motion emphasizes the profound depths of the sluggard's idleness.

• to his mouth (אֶל פִּיו, 'el piv): The ultimate destination for food, necessary for life itself. The inability to complete this simple task results in self-deprivation, showing that sloth leads to personal harm and, ultimately, destruction.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "The sluggard buries his hand in the dish": This phrase sets up the vivid imagery, introducing the subject and their initial, paradoxical action. It portrays an immediate, intimate contact with the source of nourishment, yet hints at an impending lack of follow-through. The act of "burying" implies an almost exaggerated motion into the bowl, further amplifying the subsequent paralysis.
  • "he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth": This completes the hyperbolic illustration, revealing the shocking extent of the sluggard's idleness. It is not merely a slight aversion to work but an absolute paralysis of will, rendering them incapable of the simplest act required for survival. The 'weariness' is internal, a mental and moral inertia rather than physical exhaustion. This depicts the final, self-destructive outcome of chronic laziness, leading to deprivation even amidst abundance.

Proverbs 26 15 Bonus section

The nearly identical phrasing in Proverbs 19:24 and 26:15 underscores the instructional importance of this specific proverb within the Solomonic wisdom tradition. The repetition itself acts as a mnemonic and an emphatic warning. This imagery serves to shock the hearer/reader into comprehending the depth of the sluggard's folly and the self-inflicted wounds of idleness. It presents an ultimate state of passivity that results in profound and avoidable suffering, making it clear that laziness is not merely inefficient but can be self-destructive. It can also be applied to spiritual lethargy, where individuals may have access to spiritual sustenance (the Word, fellowship, prayer) but are too "lazy" or apathetic to "lift the hand to the mouth," thereby starving their own souls.

Proverbs 26 15 Commentary

Proverbs 26:15 offers an extreme, hyperbolic illustration to convey the profound and dangerous nature of a sluggard's inaction. It paints a picture of someone so entrenched in sloth that they fail to perform the most basic self-sustaining act, like bringing food from a dish to their mouth. This proverb is not to be taken literally, as no one would truly starve while their hand is in food. Instead, it serves as a powerful metaphor for the debilitating paralysis of will that characterizes chronic idleness. The sluggard's "laziness" is a deep moral failing, leading to self-deprivation and ultimately, ruin. It highlights how inaction, especially regarding fundamental responsibilities, can be more destructive than direct destructive acts. The message is a severe warning against allowing idleness to take root, urging diligence in even the smallest tasks. This spiritual principle extends to faith, as mere desire for God's blessings without the accompanying "work" of obedience and faithful living yields no fruit (Jas 2:17).