God’s Word Translation
Proverbs 21:25
25The desire of a lazy person will kill him because his hands refuse to work.
Proverbs 21:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
- New International Version (NIV)The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him, because his hands refuse to work.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor.
Context of Proverbs 21:25
23Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble. 24An arrogant, conceited person is called a mocker. His arrogance knows no limits. The desire of a lazy person will kill him because his hands refuse to work. 26All day long he feels greedy, but a righteous person gives and does not hold back. 27The sacrifice of wicked people is disgusting, especially if they bring it with evil intent.
Read all of Proverbs 21Proverbs 21:25 word by word
תַּאֲוַ֣ת עָצֵ֣ל תְּמִיתֶ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־מֵאֲנ֖וּ יָדָ֣יו לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 21:25
- Proverbs 6:6Consider the ant, you lazy bum. Watch its ways, and become wise.
- Proverbs 12:24Hard-working hands gain control, but lazy hands do slave labor.
- Proverbs 13:4A lazy person craves food and there is none, but the appetite of hard-working people is satisfied.
- Proverbs 15:19The path of lazy people is like a thorny hedge, but the road of decent people is an ⌞open⌟ highway.
- Proverbs 19:24A lazy person puts his fork in his food. He doesn’t even bring it back to his mouth.
- Proverbs 20:4A lazy person does not plow in the fall. He looks for something in the harvest but finds nothing.
- Proverbs 22:13A lazy person says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be murdered in the streets!”
- Proverbs 24:30I passed by a lazy person’s field, the vineyard belonging to a person without sense.
- Proverbs 26:13A lazy person says, “There’s a ferocious lion out on the road! There’s a lion loose in the streets!”
- Matthew 25:26“His master responded, ‘You evil and lazy servant! If you knew that I harvest where I haven’t planted and gather where I haven’t scattered,
Commentaries on Proverbs 21:25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25The desire of the slothful killeth him - He desires to eat, drink, and be clothed: but as he does not labor, hence he dies with this desire in his heart, envying those who possess plenty through their labor and industry. Hence he is said to covet greedily all the day long, Proverbs 21:26, while the righteous, who has been laborious and diligent, has enough to eat, and some to spare.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25Killeth him - He wastes his strength and life in unsatisfied longings for something which he has not energy to gain. The wish to do great or good things may sometimes be taken for the deed, but if the hindrance is from a man‘s own sloth, it does but add to his condemnation.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 25-26Verses 25-26 Here is the misery of the slothful; their hands refuse to labour in an honest calling, by which they might get an honest livelihood; yet their hearts cease not to covet riches, pleasures, and honours, which cannot be obtained without labour. But the righteous and industrious have their desires satisfied.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2525. desire--that is, of ease and idleness brings him to starvation.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 21:25
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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