Proverbs 22:13
New International Version
The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!”

New Living Translation
The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!”

English Standard Version
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!”

Berean Standard Bible
The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”

King James Bible
The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

New King James Version
The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!”

New American Standard Bible
The lazy one says, “There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!”

NASB 1995
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!”

NASB 1977
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside; I shall be slain in the streets!”

Legacy Standard Bible
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside; I will be killed in the streets!”

Amplified Bible
The lazy one [manufactures excuses and] says, “There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets [if I go out to work]!”

Christian Standard Bible
The slacker says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square! ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The slacker says, “There’s a lion outside! I’ll be killed in the public square!”

American Standard Version
The sluggard saith, There is a lion without; I shall be slain in the streets.

Contemporary English Version
Don't be so lazy that you say, "If I go to work, a lion will eat me!"

English Revised Version
The sluggard saith, There is a lion without: I shall be murdered in the streets.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
A lazy person says, "There's a lion outside! I'll be murdered in the streets!"

Good News Translation
Lazy people stay at home; they say a lion might get them if they go outside.

International Standard Version
The lazy person says, "There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the street!"

Majority Standard Bible
The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!”

NET Bible
The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the middle of the streets!"

New Heart English Bible
The sluggard says, "There is a lion outside. I will be killed in the streets."

Webster's Bible Translation
The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

World English Bible
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets!”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The slothful has said, “A lion [is] outside, "" I am slain in the midst of the broad places.”

Young's Literal Translation
The slothful hath said, 'A lion is without, In the midst of the broad places I am slain.'

Smith's Literal Translation
The slothful one said, A lion without; I shall be slain in the midst of the broad places.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The slothful man saith: There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the midst of the streets.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The lazy one says: “There is a lion outside. I might be slain in the midst of the streets.”

New American Bible
The sluggard says, “A lion is outside; I might be slain in the street.”

New Revised Standard Version
The lazy person says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be killed in the streets!”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
When he is sent on an errand, the sluggard says, There is a lion on the road! and, Behold, there is murder in the streets!

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
When the lazy man was sent, he said, "There is a lion in the road, and look, a killer is in the streets!"
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The sluggard saith: 'There is a lion without; I shall be slain in the streets.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The sluggard makes excuses, and says, There is a lion in the ways, and murderers in the streets.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Good Name
12The LORD’s eyes keep watch over knowledge, but He frustrates the words of the faithless. 13The slacker says, “There is a lion outside! I will be slain in the streets!” 14The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit; he who is under the wrath of the LORD will fall into it.…

Cross References
Proverbs 26:13
The slacker says, “A lion is in the road! A fierce lion roams the public square!”

Matthew 25:24-25
Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. / So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’

Luke 19:20-21
Then another servant came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have laid away in a piece of cloth. / For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’

Proverbs 6:6-11
Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise. / Without a commander, without an overseer or ruler, / it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food at harvest. ...

Proverbs 20:4
The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.

Ecclesiastes 11:4
He who watches the wind will fail to sow, and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.

Matthew 25:26
‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.

Luke 14:18-20
But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’ / Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’ / Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’

Proverbs 19:24
The slacker buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth.

Proverbs 24:30-34
I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment. / Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down. / I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction: ...

2 Thessalonians 3:10-11
For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.” / For we hear that some of you are leading undisciplined lives, accomplishing nothing, but being busybodies.

Proverbs 15:19
The way of the slacker is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a highway.

Proverbs 10:4
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.

Proverbs 13:4
The slacker craves yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent is fully satisfied.


Treasury of Scripture

The slothful man said, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

Proverbs 15:19
The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

Proverbs 26:13-16
The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets…

Numbers 13:32,33
And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature…

Jump to Previous
Broad Death Hater Killed Lion Midst Murdered Outside Places Slain Slothful Sluggard Streets Work
Jump to Next
Broad Death Hater Killed Lion Midst Murdered Outside Places Slain Slothful Sluggard Streets Work
Proverbs 22
1. A good name is more desirable than great wealth














The sluggard
The term "sluggard" is derived from the Hebrew word "עָצֵל" (ʿāṣēl), which refers to someone who is habitually lazy or idle. In the context of Proverbs, the sluggard is often portrayed as a person who avoids work and responsibility, preferring comfort and ease over diligence and productivity. This characterization serves as a warning against the dangers of laziness, which can lead to poverty and missed opportunities. The sluggard's behavior is contrasted with the industriousness and wisdom that are commended throughout the book of Proverbs.

says
The act of speaking here is significant because it reveals the inner thoughts and justifications of the sluggard. In the Hebrew text, the verb "אָמַר" (ʾāmar) is used, which means "to say" or "to speak." This highlights the tendency of the sluggard to make excuses rather than take action. The sluggard's words are not just idle chatter; they are a reflection of a mindset that seeks to rationalize inaction and avoid responsibility.

'There is a lion outside!'
This phrase is an example of hyperbole, an exaggerated statement used to justify the sluggard's refusal to work. In ancient times, lions were indeed a real threat in certain regions, but the likelihood of encountering one in the streets was minimal. The sluggard uses this improbable danger as an excuse to remain inactive. This reflects a broader human tendency to exaggerate obstacles and create imaginary fears to avoid facing challenges. The phrase serves as a metaphor for the irrational fears and excuses that prevent people from fulfilling their duties.

I will be slain in the streets!
The sluggard's declaration of impending doom is another exaggeration, emphasizing the irrationality of his fear. The Hebrew word for "slain" is "הָרוּג" (hārûg), which means "killed" or "murdered." By claiming that he will be killed in the streets, the sluggard dramatizes the situation to justify his inaction. This reflects a mindset that prioritizes self-preservation and comfort over responsibility and effort. The streets, in this context, symbolize the public sphere where work and interaction with others occur. The sluggard's avoidance of the streets represents a withdrawal from societal obligations and a refusal to engage with the world.

(13) The slothful man saith, There is a lion without . . .--No excuses are too absurd for him, he fears to meet a lion in the open country, or, he might be murdered in the streets.

Verse 13. - The slothful man saith, There is a lion without (Proverbs 26:13). The absurd nature of the sluggard's excuse is hardly understood by the casual reader. The supposed lion is without, in the open country, and yet he professes to be in danger in the midst of the town. I shall be slain in the streets. Others consider that the sluggard makes two excuses for his inactivity. If work calls him abroad, he may meet the lion which report says is prowling in the neighbourhood; if he has to go into the streets, he may be attacked and murdered by ruffians for motives of plunder or revenge. "Sluggards are prophets," says the Hebrew proverb. Septuagint, "The sluggard maketh excuses, and saith, A lion is in the ways, there are murderers in the streets." Lions, though now extinct in Palestine, seem to have lingered till the time of the Crusades, and such of them as became man eaters, the old or feeble, were a real danger in the vicinity of villages (comp. Jeremiah 49:19; Jeremiah 50:44).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The sluggard
עָ֭צֵל (‘ā·ṣêl)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6102: Sluggish, lazy

says,
אָמַ֣ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“[There is] a lion
אֲרִ֣י (’ă·rî)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 738: A lion

outside!
בַח֑וּץ (ḇa·ḥūṣ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2351: Separate by a, wall, outside, outdoors

I will be slain
אֵֽרָצֵֽחַ׃ (’ê·rā·ṣê·aḥ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7523: To dash in pieces, kill, to murder

in
בְּת֥וֹךְ (bə·ṯō·wḵ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

the streets!”
רְ֝חֹב֗וֹת (rə·ḥō·ḇō·wṯ)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7339: A broad open place, plaza


Links
Proverbs 22:13 NIV
Proverbs 22:13 NLT
Proverbs 22:13 ESV
Proverbs 22:13 NASB
Proverbs 22:13 KJV

Proverbs 22:13 BibleApps.com
Proverbs 22:13 Biblia Paralela
Proverbs 22:13 Chinese Bible
Proverbs 22:13 French Bible
Proverbs 22:13 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Proverbs 22:13 The sluggard says There is a lion (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 22:12
Top of Page
Top of Page