Proverbs 6:7 kjv
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Proverbs 6:7 nkjv
Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler,
Proverbs 6:7 niv
It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
Proverbs 6:7 esv
Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,
Proverbs 6:7 nlt
Though they have no prince
or governor or ruler to make them work,
Proverbs 6 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Pr 6:8 | "She prepares her food in summer and gathers her provision in harvest." | Ant's foresight and preparation |
| Pr 10:4 | "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich." | Contrasts idleness with diligence's reward |
| Pr 12:24 | "The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor." | Diligence leads to success, sloth to servitude |
| Pr 13:4 | "The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied." | Spiritual and material reward for diligence |
| Pr 19:15 | "Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger." | Direct consequence of idleness |
| Pr 20:4 | "The sluggard does not plow in the autumn; he will seek at harvest and have nothing." | Foresightlessness leads to scarcity |
| Pr 21:5 | "The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty." | Diligent planning brings prosperity |
| Pr 28:19 | "Whoever works his land will have plenty of food, but he who follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty." | Productive labor is key for sustenance |
| Pr 30:24 | "Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:" | Ant is an example of small but wise creature |
| Pr 30:25 | "the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;" | Reinforces the ant's wisdom and industriousness |
| Ecc 9:10 | "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might..." | Exhortation to work with zeal |
| Mt 25:26-27 | "...You wicked and slothful servant! ... You ought to have invested my money with the bankers..." | Parable rebukes un-diligence and lack of initiative |
| Rom 12:11 | "Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." | Commands zeal over spiritual sluggishness |
| Eph 4:28 | "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands..." | Calls for honest, productive work |
| 1 Thes 4:11-12 | "...to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your own hands..." | Exhortation to independent, quiet diligence |
| 2 Thes 3:10 | "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." | Strong statement against idleness |
| Heb 6:12 | "...so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." | Warning against spiritual sluggishness |
| Gen 3:19 | "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground..." | Establishes work as part of human condition |
| Job 12:7-8 | "But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you..." | Wisdom from creation for understanding God |
| Mt 6:26 | "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them." | Divine provision often works through creaturely diligence |
| Titus 3:14 | "And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need..." | Practice good works for societal benefit |
| 1 Cor 10:31 | "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." | Work ethic is a means to glorify God |
Proverbs 6 verses
Proverbs 6 7 Meaning
Proverbs 6:7 describes a unique characteristic of the ant: it functions and thrives without any designated "chief," "officer," or "ruler" overseeing its activities. This highlights the ant's intrinsic diligence, self-organization, and innate wisdom, driven by instinct rather than by external authority or supervision. It sets the stage for a lesson in self-motivation and foresight for the human sluggard.
Proverbs 6 7 Context
Proverbs chapter 6 opens a series of direct admonitions to a "sluggard" (Hebrew: ʿāṣēl, עָצֵל), addressing common pitfalls that lead to folly and ruin. The immediate context of verse 7 is the opening exhortation of Proverbs 6:6-11, where the wisdom writer tells the lazy person to "Go to the ant...consider her ways, and be wise." The ant serves as an object lesson from the natural world, illustrating intrinsic motivation, discipline, and foresight—qualities profoundly lacking in the sluggard.
Historically, ancient Israel was an agrarian society where diligent labor and prudent planning (e.g., planting, harvesting, storing for winter) were essential for survival and prosperity. Laziness (āṣēl) directly threatened a household's well-being. The familiar behavior of ants, observed throughout the ancient Near East, offered a tangible, everyday example of sustained effort and future-oriented action, which resonated strongly with an agricultural populace. While not a direct polemic, the verse implicitly critiques a human reliance on external taskmasters or coercive systems for productivity, highlighting the ant's self-governed industriousness as an ideal.
Proverbs 6 7 Word analysis
- אֲשֶׁר (asher): "which" or "that." This relative pronoun connects the ant (mentioned in verse 6) to its subsequent defining characteristic, emphasizing the unique condition of its operations.
- אֵין־לָהּ (ein-lah): "there is not to her" or "she has no." The negation
אֵין(ein, "there is no") is emphatic, pointing out a remarkable absence in the ant's social structure compared to human organizations. Theלָהּ(lah, "to her" or "for her") clearly attributes this absence to the ant (feminine singular pronoun). - קָצִין (qatsin): (ka-TSEEN) - Hebrew for "chief," "commander," or "leader." This term often denotes a military strategist or one at the top of an administrative hierarchy, responsible for overall direction and policy. The ant operates without needing a high-level strategic commander.
- שֹׁטֵר (shoter): (sho-TAIR) - Hebrew for "officer," "taskmaster," or "supervisor." This refers to someone who enforces rules, assigns duties, or organizes labor, akin to a foreman or a police officer. This is the same term used for the Egyptian taskmasters over the Israelites (Exod 5:6, 10). The ant thrives without external monitoring or rule enforcement.
- וּמֹשֵׁל (u-moshel): (oo-mo-SHEL) - Hebrew for "and ruler" or "one who governs." This term implies ultimate authority, one who exercises dominion or supreme control, often a king or sovereign. The ant has no absolute sovereign demanding its obedience.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "Having no chief, officer or ruler": This threefold negation powerfully describes the ant's remarkable internal motivation and self-directed work ethic. Unlike human societies that typically require designated leadership to organize and compel labor, the ant operates autonomously. It demonstrates intrinsic discipline, performing its tasks not from external pressure, fear of punishment, or the need for supervision, but from an innate, divinely endowed drive and wisdom. This absence of external hierarchy is the precise point of contrast and challenge to the human sluggard, who often requires constant external prompting or accountability to perform necessary tasks.
Proverbs 6 7 Bonus section
- Divine Ordering: The ant's self-organizing capacity points to God's wise design within creation. Its ordered existence, absent human hierarchical structures, subtly suggests an internal ordering that mirrors God's intelligent design (Pr 30:24-25; Rom 1:20), providing evidence of divine wisdom to all who observe.
- The Sluggard's Indictment: The verse's true power lies in its indictment of the human sluggard. The sluggard often requires explicit commands, external supervision, or consequences to act. The ant, by contrast, operates with an instinctive purposefulness that should shame and motivate any lazy person to embrace personal responsibility and self-governance.
- Aspiration, Not Anarchy: While the verse highlights the ant's autonomy, it's not advocating for a society without leadership. Instead, it holds up the ant's inner drive as an aspiration for individual responsibility within human societal structures. It teaches that ideal productivity comes from intrinsic motivation, rather than merely from external compulsion.
Proverbs 6 7 Commentary
Proverbs 6:7 stands as a powerful testament to the inherent wisdom embedded in creation, offering a stark contrast to human laziness. The ant, though small and seemingly insignificant, conducts its communal life with unparalleled efficiency and diligence, precisely because it is driven from within. It does not require a 'chief' to strategize, an 'officer' to supervise, or a 'ruler' to compel its work. Its industry is not born out of obedience to a visible authority figure but from an innate, divinely ordered wisdom that compels foresight and consistent labor for the collective good. This profound simplicity and effectiveness without human-like governance expose the sluggard's reliance on external prompting and lack of internal drive. The lesson is not to dismantle human societal structures but to cultivate a personal character that mirrors the ant's intrinsic motivation—a work ethic that stems from a deep understanding of responsibility, purpose, and the inevitable outcomes of foresight or neglect, rather than merely responding to external pressure.Examples for practical usage:
- Personal Growth: Taking initiative to learn a new skill or discipline, without being forced or constantly reminded.
- Financial Stewardship: Saving and planning for the future consistently, not just when a crisis hits or a financial advisor prods.
- Spiritual Discipline: Consistently engaging in prayer, Bible study, and serving without needing constant encouragement from a pastor or peer.