Proverbs 12: 11 Work and Eat…

This verse is the essence of the story of the grasshopper and the ant. The ant worked HARD all summer while the grasshopper wiled away the hours, playing and having fun, but when the winter came, the ant had plenty of provisions laid up for his family, while the grasshopper died out in the cold.

Proverbs 12: 11 (NKJV)

11 He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread,

But he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding.

tills: To prepare (land) for the raising of crops, as by plowing and harrowing; cultivate

satisfied: Filled with satisfaction; content

bread: 1. a. Food in general, regarded as necessary for sustaining life b. Something that nourishes; sustenance 3. Means of support; livelihood

frivolous: 1. Unworthy of serious attention; trivial 2. Inappropriately silly

frivolity: 1. The quality or condition of being frivolous. 2. A frivolous act or thing.

devoid: Completely lacking; destitute or empty

understanding: 1. Characterized by or having comprehension, good sense, intelligence or discernment. 2. Compassionate; sympathetic

Using the definitions of the main words from today’s verse, we see that the person who works by doing the job that God has given him to bring him his “Daily Bread,” will be sustained and content, while the person who doesn’t pay attention and just goes around being silly instead of working, doesn’t show ANY intelligence or good sense.

I found some of the other translations of this verse to be helpful in understanding it as well:

The New American Standard Bible puts it this way:

11. He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues worthless things lacks sense.

The New International Version says: 11. He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.

And last, but not least, “The Message” version says: 11. The one who stays on the job has food on the table; the witless chase whims and fancies.

Proverbs 6: 6 - 11 (NIV)

Today we will cover the next 6 verses in this sixth chapter of Proverbs. They speak to people about being constructive and active in their lives. The writer uses the ant and a “sluggard” or “vagrant” as examples to get his point across to the readers. Here are today’s verses:

Proverbs 6: 6 - 11
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-
11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.
[Footnote: Or like a vagrant / and scarcity like a beggar]

The online dictionary defines the word “sluggard” as: A slothful person; an idler, a very lazy person. The reader is urged to look at the way the ant lives. It doesn’t have any kind of leader or ruler over it to tell it what to do, yet it is constantly working during the seasons that it can, to store things for provisions for later. It shows wisdom in this way.

These verses warn people not to be slothful and lazy, but to work when the opportunity presents itself so that provisions are made for themselves and their families to live. It goes on to say, in verse 11, that if you are lazy and sleep your life away, so to speak, then suddenly (come on you like a bandit) you will find yourself living in poverty. The footnote says that in the original language, the words used here mean “scarcity like a beggar.”

This is speaking to people who are lazy, not those that are trying to do the best they can to take care of things and are having a hard time of it. If we are trying to follow Christ in all we do, then He will open the doors to us to do the jobs that we need in His perfect timing. We do need to keep our eyes and ears open, be trying, and not just laying back and expecting God to do everything for us. If we are working hard at what we have been given to do, then more and more opportunities will be given to us, in His time.