Proverbs 6:6
New International Version
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!

New Living Translation
Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!

English Standard Version
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

Berean Standard Bible
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.

King James Bible
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

New King James Version
Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,

New American Standard Bible
Go to the ant, you lazy one, Observe its ways and be wise,

NASB 1995
Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise,

NASB 1977
Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise,

Legacy Standard Bible
Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise,

Amplified Bible
Go to the ant, O lazy one; Observe her ways and be wise,

Christian Standard Bible
Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise.

American Standard Version
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; Consider her ways, and be wise:

Contemporary English Version
You lazy people can learn by watching an anthill.

English Revised Version
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Consider the ant, you lazy bum. Watch its ways, and become wise.

Good News Translation
Lazy people should learn a lesson from the way ants live.

International Standard Version
Go to the ant, you lazy man! Observe its ways and become wise.

Majority Standard Bible
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.

NET Bible
Go to the ant, you sluggard; observe its ways and be wise!

New Heart English Bible
Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

Webster's Bible Translation
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

World English Bible
Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Go to the ant, O slothful one, "" See her ways and be wise;

Young's Literal Translation
Go unto the ant, O slothful one, See her ways and be wise;

Smith's Literal Translation
Go to the ant, thou slothful one; see her ways, and be wise:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom:

Catholic Public Domain Version
Go to the ant, you lazy one, and consider her ways, and so learn wisdom.

New American Bible
Go to the ant, O sluggard, study her ways and learn wisdom;

New Revised Standard Version
Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways, and be wise.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Be like the ant, consider her ways, and be wise;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Be like the ant and see her ways and learn, for there is no harvest for her,
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Go to the ant, thou sluggard; Consider her ways, and be wise;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Warnings Against Foolishness
5Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler. 6Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. 7Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler,…

Cross References
Proverbs 30:24-25
Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise: / The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

Proverbs 10:4-5
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. / He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

Proverbs 13:4
The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.

Proverbs 20:4
The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.

Proverbs 24:30-34
I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. / Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down. / I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction: ...

Ecclesiastes 10:18
Through laziness the roof caves in, and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.

Matthew 25:26-30
‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. / Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest. / Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. ...

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.” / For we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives, accomplishing nothing, but being busybodies. / We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you. / Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.

1 Timothy 5:8
If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men, / because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Ephesians 4:28
He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.

Genesis 41:34-36
Let Pharaoh take action and appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. / Under the authority of Pharaoh, let them collect all the excess food from these good years, that they may come and lay up the grain to be preserved as food in the cities. / This food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine to come upon the land of Egypt. Then the country will not perish in the famine.”

Genesis 6:21
You are also to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals.”

Luke 12:24
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!


Treasury of Scripture

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Proverbs 1:17
Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird.

Job 12:7,8
But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: …

Isaiah 1:3
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

thou

Proverbs 6:9
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

Proverbs 10:26
As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

Proverbs 13:4
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

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Proverbs 6
1. against indebtedness
6. idleness
12. and mischievousness
16. seven things detestable to God
20. the blessings of obedience
25. the mischief of unfaithfulness














Go to the ant
The phrase "Go to the ant" is an imperative call to action. In Hebrew, the word for "go" is "לֵךְ" (lekh), which is a command to move or proceed. This directive is not merely a suggestion but a strong encouragement to observe and learn. The ant, in ancient Near Eastern cultures, was often seen as a symbol of diligence and industriousness. By directing the sluggard to the ant, the verse emphasizes the importance of seeking wisdom from God's creation, which is a recurring theme in the wisdom literature of the Bible.

O sluggard
The term "sluggard" is translated from the Hebrew word "עָצֵל" (atzel), which refers to someone who is habitually lazy or idle. In the context of Proverbs, the sluggard is often portrayed as a person who lacks motivation and discipline, leading to poverty and ruin. This admonition serves as a warning against the dangers of laziness, urging individuals to reflect on their own work ethic and to strive for a life of purpose and productivity.

consider her ways
The word "consider" comes from the Hebrew "רָאָה" (ra'ah), meaning to see, perceive, or understand. It implies a deep, thoughtful observation rather than a casual glance. "Her ways" refers to the ant's behavior and habits. Ants are known for their organized, cooperative, and tireless work ethic. By considering the ant's ways, the sluggard is encouraged to reflect on the virtues of diligence, foresight, and cooperation. This phrase invites believers to learn from the natural world, recognizing that God's wisdom is evident in all of creation.

and be wise
The phrase "and be wise" is a call to acquire wisdom, which is a central theme in the book of Proverbs. The Hebrew word for "wise" is "חָכָם" (chakam), which denotes not only knowledge but also the practical application of that knowledge in daily life. Wisdom, in the biblical sense, is living in accordance with God's will and understanding the moral order of the universe. This exhortation to be wise underscores the transformative power of learning from God's creation and applying those lessons to one's life. It is a reminder that true wisdom leads to a life of fulfillment and alignment with God's purposes.

Verses 6-11. - 10. Tenth admonitory discourse. Warning against sloth. The ethical connection of this discourse with the preceding has already been pointed out. Sloth militates against prosperity; it is the prolific parent of want, and, even more surely than suretyship, leads to misfortune and ruin, The certainty with which ruin steals upon the sluggard may be the reason why the teacher closes the discourse in the way he does. In the case of suretyship such an issue is uncertain; there is the possibility of escape, the surety may prevail upon his friend to release him from his obligation, and so he may escape ruin; but with sloth no such contingency is possible, its invariable end is disaster. So far as the grammatical structure of the two discourses is concerned, they appear to be quite independent of each other, the only points of coincidence observable being the repetition of one or two words, which is purely accidental (cf. "go" in vers. 3 and 6, and "sleep" and "slumber" in vers. 4 and 10). Verse 6. - Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. The ant (Hebrew, n'malah) is here brought forward as supplying an example of wisdom to the sluggard. The habits of this insect, its industry and providence, have in all ages made it the symbol of these two qualities, and not only the sacred, but also profane writers have praised its foresight, and held it up for imitation. The ant is only mentioned twice in the Old Testament, and on both occasions in our book (see present passage and Proverbs 30:25). The derivation of n'malah is either from the root nam, with reference first to the silence with which it moves, and secondly to its active yet unperceived motion (Delitzsch), or from namal, i.q. malal, "to cut off," from its cutting off or consuming seeds (ab incidendis seminibus) (Buxtorf, Gesenius). The Aramaic name, shum'sh'manah, however, points to its activity and rapid running hither and thither (Fleischer). Sluggard; Hebrew, atsel, a verbal adjective tbund only in the Proverbs. The primary idea of the root atsal is that of languor and laxity. The cognate abstract nouns ats'lah and ats'luth, equivalent to "slothfulness," occur in Proverbs 19:15; Proverbs 31:27. Consider her ways; attentively regard them, and from them derive a lesson of wisdom. Her ways are the manner in which the ant displays her industry and foresight.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Walk in the manner of
לֵֽךְ־ (lêḵ-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

the ant,
נְמָלָ֥ה (nə·mā·lāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5244: An ant

O sluggard;
עָצֵ֑ל (‘ā·ṣêl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6102: Sluggish, lazy

observe
רְאֵ֖ה (rə·’êh)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

its ways
דְרָכֶ֣יהָ (ḏə·rā·ḵe·hā)
Noun - common plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

and be wise:
וַחֲכָֽם׃ (wa·ḥă·ḵām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 2449: To be wise


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant you sluggard (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 6:5
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