Bible Strands
Proverbs 26:14
As a door turns on its hinges, so the slacker turns on his bed.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The author of Proverbs addresses the sluggard immediately after the sluggard fabricates a dangerous excuse to avoid work (v. 13) and before describing his refusal to eat (v. 15).
The words — עָצֵל (a.Tzel) = sluggard and מִטָּתוֹ (mi.tta.to) = his bed.
The thread — The motif of prolonged rest appears in Proverbs 6:9, which questions how long the slacker will remain in bed before rising, Hebrews 6:12, which contrasts sluggishness with faith and patience, and Proverbs 12:24, which contrasts the diligent hand with laziness ending in forced labor.
Why it lands — The text states that the sluggard’s constant turning produces only wasted motion, not progress. It requires the reader to abandon inert repetition and pursue deliberate action.
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
As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.
Cross-references
- Hebrews 6:12 Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.
- Proverbs 6:9 How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?
- Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.
- Proverbs 12:27 A lazy man does not roast his game, but a diligent man prizes his possession.
- Proverbs 24:33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,