Bible Strands
Proverbs 26:13
The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The author addresses readers within a wisdom collection, positioning this saying between warnings about self-deceived wisdom and a description of a sluggard’s inertia. The sluggard himself is the speaker, inventing a lethal obstacle to justify his refusal to work.
The words — The Hebrew עָצֵל ('Atzel) denotes a sluggard, while שַׁחַל (Sha.chal) and אֲרִי ('Ari) both mean lion, highlighting a fabricated threat. The sluggard claims this predator blocks the road (בַּדֶּרֶךְ, ba.Derekh) and patrols the open squares (בֵּין הָרְחֹבוֹת, bein ha.recho.Vot).
The thread — This exact excuse pattern appears in Proverbs 22:13, where the sluggard claims a lion outside will cause his death in the streets. The recurring motif of laziness manufacturing barriers and causing physical stagnation runs through Proverbs 15:19 and Proverbs 19:15.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to identify how invented dangers mask a refusal to act. A reader must discard self-deceived inaction and take the actual path forward without relying on fabricated obstacles.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 22:13 The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”
- Proverbs 19:15 Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle soul will suffer hunger.
- Proverbs 15:19 The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.