Question 1

What does it mean to be surety for a friend in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Being surety for a friend means promising to pay someone else’s debt if they do not pay it themselves. In the passage, this is pictured as striking hands on a deal and being trapped by your own words. The warning is not against kindness, but against careless promises that can bring you into bondage. If you have tied yourself to another person’s debt without wisdom, you have put your future, and even your family, at risk. That is why the father speaks so strongly about getting free from this as soon as possible.

Question 2

Why is the son told to hurry and free himself from this debt promise?

Accepted Answer

The son is told not to give sleep to his eyes because every hour he stays in that promise, he is “in the hand” of another person. His money, time, and peace can be taken if the debtor fails. The picture of the deer in the hunter’s hand and the bird in the fowler’s net shows real danger. So the father says, humble yourself, go talk, and do what you can to end or soften the agreement. Waiting, or hoping it will sort itself out, only makes the trap tighter.

Question 3

What lesson are we supposed to learn from the ant in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The ant is given as a simple, earthy teacher for the lazy person. Without a chief or boss, the ant works hard at the right time, storing food in summer and harvest. The point is that even a tiny insect knows to use today to prepare for tomorrow. The lazy person, by contrast, keeps saying, “Just a little more sleep,” and never starts. The lesson is to take responsibility for your work, use the seasons of opportunity, and not expect others to carry you when you could be working.

Question 4

How does laziness bring poverty like a traveler and an armed man?

Accepted Answer

The picture of a traveler shows poverty coming bit by bit, getting closer while the lazy person feels safe. The image of an armed man shows poverty arriving suddenly with force, so that the person cannot resist it. “A little sleep, a little slumber” sounds harmless, but many small choices to put off work build into a life with empty hands. The warning is that laziness does not stay small. If we keep choosing ease over duty, need and trouble will finally arrive in a way that is hard to escape.

Question 5

Who is the “naughty person” or wicked man described here?

Accepted Answer

The “naughty person” is someone whose whole way of acting is bent toward trickery and harm. His speech is twisted, but he also uses his eyes, feet, and fingers to give secret signs and carry out evil plans. Trouble is not just in his words but in his heart, where he constantly thinks up new schemes and spreads division. This is more than someone who slips now and then. It is a settled pattern of using body, mind, and mouth to hurt others. The passage warns that such a life ends in sudden ruin.

Question 6

What are the seven things the Lord hates in this passage?

Accepted Answer

The passage lists a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plans wicked schemes, feet that run quickly to do harm, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a person who sows discord among brothers. These cover thoughts, words, actions, and even the pace at which someone rushes into evil. Together they show that God cares deeply about humility, truth, respect for life, and peace. He does not only judge outward violence, but also the heart that loves stirring up trouble.

Question 7

Why is sowing discord among brothers singled out at the end?

Accepted Answer

Sowing discord means stirring up fights where there could be peace, often through gossip, lies, or taking sides. It is listed last, which gives it special weight. Families, churches, and communities can be torn apart when someone enjoys setting people against each other. God hates this because it attacks love and unity, and it often hides under pious or friendly words. The passage warns that this is not a small sin. Those who keep splitting people apart stand in direct opposition to what God loves.

Question 8

How can this passage about debt, laziness, and evil people apply today?

Accepted Answer

The warnings still fit daily life. We should be slow to sign our name to someone else’s debt, and if we have done it rashly, we should humbly work to straighten it out. We can look at the ant and ask if we are using our time well or always choosing ease. The list of hated sins invites us to check our own hearts for pride, lies, and any taste for stirring up conflict. Instead of copying the wicked man, we can ask God to shape our words, work, and relationships to reflect honesty, diligence, and peace.

Proverbs 6:1

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

Warnings against Foolishness

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Proverbs 6:1

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

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Warnings against Foolishness

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