Proverbs 6:11

and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The wisdom teacher addresses a student immediately after describing the habit of taking "a little sleep, a little slumber" in the preceding verse.

The words — The text pairs רֵאשֶׁךָ (reShe/kha) = "your poverty" and מַחְסֹרְךָ (machso.re/kha) = "your lack" with the verb בָּא (ba') = "it will come," establishing an inevitable arrival.

The thread — This sequence runs through Proverbs 10:4, which ties idle hands to poverty, Proverbs 20:4, which shows a slacker finding nothing at harvest, and Proverbs 13:4, which contrasts the slacker's empty cravings with the diligent's full satisfaction.

Why it lands — The verse demands immediate intervention against procrastination by framing minor delays as direct triggers for sudden deprivation. It requires the reader to treat repeated small postponements as structural threats rather than harmless pauses.

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

וּבָֽא־u./va'-and/ it will come כִמְהַלֵּ֥ךְkhi/m.ha.Lekhlike/ a traveler רֵאשֶׁ֑ךָre.She./khapoverty/ your וּ֝מַחְסֹֽרְךָ֗u./mach.so.re./khaand/ lack/ your כְּאִ֣ישׁke./'Ishlike/ a man of מָגֵֽן׃ פma.Genshield

King James Version

So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Cross-references

Proverbs 13:4 The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.
Proverbs 10:4 Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs 20:4 The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.
Proverbs 24:34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.