A Look at Proverbs 10.26

TheRev — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:52:09 +0000

Pr 10:26
²⁶ Like vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,
So is the lazy one to those who send him.

The Parts:

Parallelism Examined

26a

26b

This is “emblematic parallelism” where a “figure” is set next to a literal situation.

It has been called “cerebral cartooning” (William Mouser)!

One side is the picture, the other side is the caption.

Like vinegar to the teeth

(like) smoke to the eyes

So is the lazy one

to those who send him

Solomon has given us a riddle inviting our comparison.

We are called to “unravel” this picture!

lazy – sluggish, slow, heavy of movement. The root word is likely related to the word for “bone” which in the Old Testament is a picture of strength and health. We could say “lazy-bones” and not be too far off!

Compare:

vinegar to the teeth –

smoke to the eyes –

lazy one to those who send him –

References to consider:

Understanding the Sluggard / Lazy

They make excuses to avoid work, Pr26.13; 22.13
Their way is blocked with thorns, Pr15.19
They will not begin things, Pr6.9-10
They will not finish things, Pr12.27; 19.24; 26.15
They will not face things, Pr22.13; 26.16; 20.4
They must be prodded, Pr6.6-8
They don’t understand time, Pr6.6-11
They learn too late, Pr6.6; 24.30-31

Contrast the Diligent:

Pr 10:4
⁴ Poor is he who works with a negligent hand,
But the hand of the diligent makes rich.

Pr 12:24
²⁴ The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the slack hand will be put to forced labor.

Pr 13:4
⁴ The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
But the soul of the diligent is made fat.

Pr 21:5
⁵ The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage,
But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty.

Sharpening for my life today:

Pr 15:19
¹⁹ The way of the lazy is as a hedge of thorns,
But the path of the upright is a highway.

Diligence is not a personality trait! It’s a moral issue! Diligence is a mark of maturity! It’s far better to tell someone “no” than to be unreliable.

If you struggle with diligence, what can you learn here and then do to grow in this area?

(consider: Pay attention to your responsibilities. Choose where to put your efforts. Seek the Lord’s provision of someone to come alongside you and mentor you in this area.)

If someone you’re working with struggles in this area, what can you learn here so you can share the Lord’s wisdom with them and help them grow?

(consider: Give them “small jobs” and let the develop success in diligence. Give them more “small jobs” so they build confidence, strength, and habits. Speak honestly with them, Pr27.6.)

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