Proverbs 6:4
New International Version
Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.

New Living Translation
Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do.

English Standard Version
Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber;

Berean Standard Bible
Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.

King James Bible
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

New King James Version
Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids.

New American Standard Bible
Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;

NASB 1995
Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;

NASB 1977
Do not give sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;

Legacy Standard Bible
Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;

Amplified Bible
Give no [unnecessary] sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids;

Christian Standard Bible
Don’t give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t give sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.

American Standard Version
Give not sleep to thine eyes, Nor slumber to thine eyelids;

Contemporary English Version
Do this before you fall asleep or even get sleepy.

English Revised Version
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Don't let your eyes rest or your eyelids close.

Good News Translation
Don't let yourself go to sleep or even stop to rest.

International Standard Version
Don't allow yourself to sleep or even to close your eyes.

Majority Standard Bible
Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.

NET Bible
Permit no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids.

New Heart English Bible
Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

Webster's Bible Translation
Give not sleep to thy eyes, nor slumber to thy eyelids.

World English Bible
Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Do not give sleep to your eyes, "" And slumber to your eyelids,

Young's Literal Translation
Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt not give sleep to thine eyes, and slumber to thine eyelashes.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Do not grant sleep to your eyes, nor let your eyelids slumber.

New American Bible
Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids;

New Revised Standard Version
Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall not give sleep to your eyes nor slumber to your eyelids.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And you shall not give sleep to your eyes neither slumber to your eyelids
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber with thine eyelids;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Warnings Against Foolishness
3then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor. 4Allow no sleep to your eyes or slumber to your eyelids. 5Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.…

Cross References
Proverbs 6:1-3
My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge with a stranger, / if you have been trapped by the words of your lips, ensnared by the words of your mouth, / then do this, my son, to free yourself, for you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go, humble yourself, and press your plea with your neighbor.

Proverbs 22:26-27
Do not be one who gives pledges, who puts up security for debts. / If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?

Proverbs 20:16
Take the garment of the one who posts security for a stranger; get collateral if it is for a foreigner.

Proverbs 11:15
He who puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but the one who hates indebtedness is secure.

Proverbs 17:18
A man lacking judgment strikes hands in pledge and puts up security for his neighbor.

Matthew 5:25-26
Reconcile quickly with your adversary, while you are still on the way to court. Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. / Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Luke 12:58-59
Make every effort to reconcile with your adversary while you are on your way to the magistrate. Otherwise, he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and the officer may throw you into prison. / I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

Romans 13:8
Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

2 Corinthians 6:2
For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!

Ephesians 5:15-16
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, / redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Colossians 4:5
Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.

James 4:13-15
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business, and make a profit.” / You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. / Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.”

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow. / It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

Psalm 37:21
The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous are gracious and giving.


Treasury of Scripture

Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

Proverbs 6:10,11
Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: …

Psalm 132:4
I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids,

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

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Allow Eyelids Eyes Rest Sleep Slumber
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Allow Eyelids Eyes Rest Sleep Slumber
Proverbs 6
1. against indebtedness
6. idleness
12. and mischievousness
16. seven things detestable to God
20. the blessings of obedience
25. the mischief of unfaithfulness














Allow no sleep
The phrase "allow no sleep" is a call to urgency and diligence. In the Hebrew text, the word for "sleep" is "שֵׁנָה" (shenah), which often signifies a state of rest or inactivity. This exhortation is not a literal prohibition against physical rest but rather a metaphorical urging to remain spiritually vigilant and proactive. In the context of Proverbs, which frequently contrasts wisdom with folly, this phrase encourages the reader to avoid complacency in their spiritual and moral duties. Historically, the ancient Near Eastern cultures valued wisdom and diligence, and this proverb reflects that cultural emphasis on active engagement in one's responsibilities.

to your eyes
The "eyes" in biblical literature often symbolize perception and understanding. The Hebrew word "עֵינַיִם" (einaim) is used here, emphasizing the importance of keeping one's focus and awareness sharp. In a spiritual sense, this can be interpreted as maintaining a clear vision of God's will and purpose. The eyes are the gateway to the soul, and by keeping them open and alert, one remains receptive to divine guidance and wisdom. This aligns with the broader biblical theme of seeking God's truth and light, as seen in passages like Psalm 119:105, where God's word is described as a lamp to the feet and a light to the path.

or slumber
The term "slumber" is translated from the Hebrew "תְּנוּמָה" (tenumah), which suggests a deeper, more prolonged state of inactivity than mere sleep. This word choice underscores the danger of spiritual lethargy and the need for constant vigilance. In the ancient world, slumber could also imply a lack of awareness or preparedness, akin to the foolish virgins in Jesus' parable who were unprepared for the bridegroom's arrival (Matthew 25:1-13). The admonition here is to avoid spiritual negligence and to remain ever-ready for the tasks and challenges that God sets before us.

to your eyelids
"Eyelids" in this context, translated from the Hebrew "עַפְעַפַּיִם" (af'apayim), serve as a poetic reinforcement of the previous imagery. The eyelids are the final barrier between wakefulness and sleep, symbolizing the threshold between awareness and ignorance. By urging the reader to keep their eyelids from closing, the proverb emphasizes the importance of maintaining a state of readiness and alertness. This imagery is consistent with the biblical call to be watchful and prepared, as echoed in 1 Peter 5:8, where believers are admonished to be sober-minded and watchful because the adversary prowls like a roaring lion.

Verse 4. - This verse carries on the thought one step further. The appeal to the friend is not to be confined to one spasmodic effort and then relinquished. He is to be followed up pertinaciously and continually, with unwearied diligence, until prevailed upon to fulfil his engagements. Of this unwearied energy in the pursuit of an object in which cue is deeply interested, compare David's resolution, "I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob" (Psalm 132:4, 5).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Allow
תִּתֵּ֣ן (tit·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

no
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

sleep
שֵׁנָ֣ה (šê·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8142: Sleep

to your eyes
לְעֵינֶ֑יךָ (lə·‘ê·ne·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

or slumber
וּ֝תְנוּמָ֗ה (ū·ṯə·nū·māh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8572: Drowsiness, sleep

to your eyelids.
לְעַפְעַפֶּֽיךָ׃ (lə·‘ap̄·‘ap·pe·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Noun - mdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6079: An eyelash, morning ray


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 6:4 Give no sleep to your eyes (Prov. Pro Pr)
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