The Scripture passages are identified with bold upright font and the author’s notes are identified with italic regular font.

Note – All words or phrases found in quotation marks are actual parts of the Hebrew definition(s).

6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: 7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Lazy, Poor, or Both

These verses must be dealt with and written about with delicacy. Poverty is not an indication of a person’s laziness, but laziness will certainly lead to poverty. Please note there is a big difference between the two, between the two statements.

Notice that the ant in these verses is self-motivated, “which having no guide, overseer, no ruler” (v.7). The ant does not require an outside motivation for doing its necessary labor. The ant knows what is required to meet its needs, work, and it does the needed work.

Notice that excessive sleep is the hallmark of laziness (v.9). A person who likes to sleep a great deal when examined closely is typically also a lazy person who does only what they must do. They are always tired, and no amount of sleep can satisfy the hunger of their laziness.

The end result of laziness according to verse eleven is ‘poverty, travelleth, and want.’ Moving often, wondering around without purpose, with want as their constant companion or as verse eleven puts it, as their “armed man,” meaning in the Hebrew their” shield,” the thing that goes before them.

This” want” that the lazy suffer from is inclusive of, “deficiency; hence, impoverishment: — lack, need, penury, poor, poverty, want” according to the Hebrew as the language defines that word “want” in verse eleven.

We all have times when we want and need a bit more relaxation and/or sleep than normal, but nothing good comes of lazy behavior, and it is just that behavior, and as so I have good news for you – it can be changed, you do not have to remain lazy.

Throughout this study if you need the wisdom of God on a matter, and you wish to receive the counsel of another Believer in Christ, please use the “comments” link to send your question to me.

Spiritual/Political Disclaimer:

This blog will not be for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It will not be in any way politically correct. It will make every effort to share the truth in love, [Ephesians 4:11-16], to a decaying and dying society and church. I share what I share not to hurt, harm, or offend any person[s] or group; I do it because Christ’s Standard and Truth is not being represented by enough of His Followers, and I do it out of love. I love enough to tell His Truth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV

11And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.