Proverbs 24:33
New International Version
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—

New Living Translation
A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—

English Standard Version
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

Berean Standard Bible
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

King James Bible
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

New King James Version
A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest;

New American Standard Bible
“A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,”

NASB 1995
“A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,”

NASB 1977
“A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,”

Legacy Standard Bible
“A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,”

Amplified Bible
“Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest [and daydream],”

Christian Standard Bible
a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest,

American Standard Version
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep;

Contemporary English Version
Sleep a little. Doze a little. Fold your hands and twiddle your thumbs.

English Revised Version
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Just a little sleep, just a little slumber, just a little nap."

Good News Translation
Go ahead and take your nap; go ahead and sleep. Fold your hands and rest awhile,

International Standard Version
"A little sleep! A little slumber! A little folding of my hands to rest!"

Majority Standard Bible
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,

NET Bible
"A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to relax,

New Heart English Bible
a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep;

Webster's Bible Translation
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

World English Bible
a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A little sleep—a little slumber—A little folding of the hands to lie down.

Young's Literal Translation
A little sleep -- a little slumber -- A little folding of the hands to lie down.

Smith's Literal Translation
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou wilt sleep a little, said I, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to rest:

Catholic Public Domain Version
You will sleep a little,” I said. “You will slumber briefly. You will fold your hands a little, so as to rest.

New American Bible
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the arms to rest—

New Revised Standard Version
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands upon your chest;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if you slumber a little and sleep a little, and for a little you put your hand upon your chest
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep'--

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The sluggard says, I slumber a little, and I sleep a little, and for a little while I fold my arms across my breast.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Further Sayings of the Wise
32I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction: 33A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.…

Cross References
Proverbs 6:9-11
How long will you lie there, O slacker? When will you get up from your sleep? / A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, / and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.

Matthew 25:26-30
‘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. / Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest. / Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. ...

Proverbs 19:15
Laziness brings on deep sleep, and an idle soul will suffer hunger.

1 Thessalonians 5:6-8
So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober. / For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. / But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of our hope of salvation.

Proverbs 20:13
Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of food.

Romans 13:11-14
And do this, understanding the occasion. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. / The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. / Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ...

Ecclesiastes 10:18
Through laziness the roof caves in, and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.

Ephesians 5:14-16
So it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” / Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, / redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Proverbs 10:4-5
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. / He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12
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. / We command and urge such people by our Lord Jesus Christ to begin working quietly to earn their own living.

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

Hebrews 6:11-12
We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. / Then you will not be sluggish, but will imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

Proverbs 21:25-26
The craving of the slacker kills him because his hands refuse to work. / All day long he covets more, but the righteous give without restraint.

James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? / Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. / If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? ...

Proverbs 26:14
As a door turns on its hinges, so the slacker turns on his bed.


Treasury of Scripture

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

Proverbs 6:4-11
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids…

Romans 13:11
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Ephesians 5:14
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

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Proverbs 24
1. Precepts and Warnings














A little sleep
The phrase "a little sleep" suggests a minimal amount of rest, but in the context of Proverbs, it often implies a warning against laziness or complacency. The Hebrew word for "sleep" here is "שֵׁנָה" (shenah), which can denote a physical state of rest but also symbolizes spiritual or moral lethargy. In the ancient Near Eastern context, diligence was crucial for survival and prosperity. The Bible frequently contrasts the industrious with the slothful, emphasizing that even a small indulgence in idleness can lead to significant consequences. This serves as a reminder that spiritual vigilance and diligence in our daily lives are essential to avoid the pitfalls of complacency.

A little slumber
The repetition of "a little slumber" reinforces the idea of incremental neglect. The Hebrew word "תְּנוּמָה" (tenumah) refers to a light dozing or drowsiness. This subtle form of rest can be seen as a metaphor for spiritual inattentiveness. In a historical context, the Israelites were often warned against becoming spiritually drowsy, which could lead to turning away from God's commandments. For the modern believer, this phrase serves as a caution against allowing small distractions or compromises to erode one's spiritual discipline and commitment to God's work.

A little folding of the hands to rest
This imagery of "folding of the hands" is a vivid depiction of inactivity and surrender to idleness. The Hebrew "חִבּוּק יָדַיִם" (chibbuq yadayim) literally means "embracing of the hands," suggesting a deliberate choice to cease from labor. In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, such behavior could lead to poverty and ruin, as fields left untended would not yield a harvest. Scripturally, this phrase warns against the dangers of procrastination and the false security of thinking that small acts of neglect will not have larger repercussions. For Christians, it is a call to remain active in faith and service, recognizing that spiritual growth requires continuous effort and vigilance.

Verses 33, 34. - These verses are a repetition, with very slight variations, of Proverbs 6:10, 11 (where see notes), and possibly have been introduced here by a later editor. Ver. 33 seems to be the sluggard's own words; Ver. 34 shows the result of his sloth. There are numberless proverbs dedicated to this subject in all languages; e.g., "No sweat, no sweet;" "No pains, no gains; .... He that wad eat the kernel maun crack the nut;" "A punadas entran las buenas hadas," "Good luck enters by dint of cuffs" (Spanish); "Nihil agendo male agere discimus; .... The dog in the kennel," say the Chinese. "barks at his fleas; the dog that hunts does not feel them" (Kelly). "Sloth and much sleep," say the Arabs, "remove from God and bring on poverty." The LXX. is somewhat dramatic in its rendering: "Afterwards I repented (μετενόησα), I looked that I might receive instruction. 'I slumber a little, I sleep a little, for a little I clasp (ἐναγκαλίζομαι) my hands across my breast.' But if thou do this, thy poverty will come advancing, and thy want like a good runner (ἀγαθὸς δρομεύς)" The word ἐναγκαλίζομαι occurs in Proverbs 6:10, but nowhere else in the Septuagint. It is used by St. Mark (Mark 9:36; Mark 10:16). It has been thought that the original mashal ended with Ver. 32, the following passage being added by a scribe as illustrative in a marginal note, which afterwards crept into the text.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A little
מְעַ֣ט (mə·‘aṭ)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

sleep,
שֵׁ֭נוֹת (nō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8142: Sleep

a little
מְעַ֣ט (mə·‘aṭ)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

slumber,
תְּנוּמ֑וֹת (tə·nū·mō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8572: Drowsiness, sleep

a little
מְעַ֓ט ׀ (mə·‘aṭ)
Adjective - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4592: A little, fewness, a few

folding
חִבֻּ֖ק (ḥib·buq)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 2264: A clasping, folding (of the hands)

of the hands
יָדַ֣יִם (yā·ḏa·yim)
Noun - fd
Strong's 3027: A hand

to rest,
לִשְׁכָּֽב׃ (liš·kāḇ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7901: To lie down


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 24:33 A little sleep a little slumber (Prov. Pro Pr)
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