Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Proverbs 19:24

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Proverbs 19:24. A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom — Is too lazy to feed himself, If he dip his hand once in the dish, he is too lazy to put it in a second time. It is a strange case that a man, through his excessive slothfulness, would rather starve than put himself to the trouble to eat.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Lessons heeded and ignored (19:1-29)

Moral uprightness is more important than wealth, and wise action is more important than hasty action. People are foolish when they blame God for the trouble they bring upon themselves through their own mistakes (19:1-3).
Often the reason the rich have many friends is that these ‘friends’ hope to gain personally from their wealth or influence (4-6). The poor lose their friends, though in a sense they are rich if they maintain their understanding (7-8). People should behave in a way that befits their social status, though to misrepresent the truth is always wrong (9-10). If they are mature, they will not allow themselves to be easily offended and will know how to control their temper (11-12).
Stupidity, quarrelling, laziness and a lack of parental discipline will destroy family happiness. Wise, sympathetic, yet firm, dealings by the parents will build it (13-18). Bad tempered people never seem to learn, and as a result bring trouble upon themselves repeatedly (19-20).
God directs affairs in people’s lives, and desires from them reverent loyalty. He blesses the obedient, but not the lazy (21-24). Physical punishment is often the only method of correction that fools understand, but sensible people listen to rebukes and learn from them (25-29).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.”

We have here a classical example of hyperbole. Can anyone imagine a man so lazy that, when he is eating, he will not even lift his hand from the dish to his mouth? “The scene here is a meal and the example extremely comical.”The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, op. cit., p. 135. Proverbs 26:15 repeats this. This must be classified as a humorous proverb.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Hideth his hand in his bosom - Better, dippeth his hand in the dish (compare 2 Kings 21:13). The scene brought before us is that of an Eastern feast. There are no knives, or forks, or spoons. Every guest has to help himself, or be helped by the host. Compare John 13:26.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 19

Better is the poor that walks in his integrity [or in honesty], than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD. Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is even separated from his neighbor ( Proverbs 19:1-4 ).

If you're rich, you have a lot of people coming around. But you really don't know. It would be hard to be rich and have all of the people hanging around, because you don't know if they're really your friends or not. What will happen in adversity? So you have all of this crazy problem of accepting people because I don't know, "What you really want? You know. Because I'm rich you're coming around. Do you really love me?" And so they have a hard time.

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall not escape. Many will entreat the favor of the prince: and every man is a friend to him who gives gifts. All of the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursues them with words, and yet they are wanting to him ( Proverbs 19:5-7 ).

The poor man.

He that gets wisdom loves his own soul: he that keeps understanding shall find good. A false witness shall not be unpunished ( Proverbs 19:8-9 ),

We had that one just a little bit ago in verse Proverbs 19:5 . But then the latter part is just a little different.

he that speaketh lies shall perish ( Proverbs 19:9 ).

Verse Proverbs 19:5 says, "Shall not escape." Very similar, though, proverbs.

Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes ( Proverbs 19:10 ).

Oh man, the worst thing in the world is to give a little power to some people. They don't know how to handle it.

The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression ( Proverbs 19:11 ).

Much better just to say, "Oh, let it go." Just to pass over the transgressions.

The king's wrath is as a roaring of a lion; but his favor is as the dew on the grass. A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping ( Proverbs 19:12-13 ).

That's like the Chinese torture trick, you know. Or you ever have a leaky faucet and you're trying to sleep at night and hear the ploop, ploop, ploop.

House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD ( Proverbs 19:14 ).

Oh, isn't that neat? "He that finds a wife finds a good thing." A prudent wife is from the Lord. God is good to us.

Slothfulness [the laziness again] casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. He that keeps the commandment keeps his own soul; but he that despises his ways shall die. Then he that has pity upon the poor is lending to the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again ( Proverbs 19:15-17 ).

Now here's an interesting thing. As I told you, God takes up the cause of the poor. And if you have pity on the poor and give to them, then God will repay you. In other words, it's like loaning to God to give to the poor. That's how much takes up the cause. And God says, "I'll repay you." So it's a neat thing to give to the poor. You're lending to the Lord. I like to lend to the Lord. I think it's grand to be able to lend to God. How can I do that? By giving to the poor. You're lending to the Lord and the Lord will repay you. The Lord will pay you back. Try it.

Chasten your son while there is hope, and let not your soul spare for his crying ( Proverbs 19:18 ).

Now, kids learn very quickly to start wailing the minute you look at them, you know, so that you won't hit them so hard or you won't spank them so long, or whatever. And so they really, they catch on quick, you know. Really wail and scream. Even when you miss them, you know, because they're already conditioned for that. So go ahead and spank your son really while there is hope. Don't spare for his crying.

Now, of course, let me say there is reason, and surely the Bible does not advocate child abuse. And there, in these days in which we live, is so much child abuse. It's terrible. To abuse a child has to be one of the worst things that a person could do. A little child that is so helpless, can't defend himself. I think that we need to be extremely careful in our punishment of a child. And I think that when we get to these kind of scriptures, surely we do not understand them to mean beating a child. Spanking a child, yes. But not beating a child. There's no value in that, ever.

A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if you deliver him, you're just going to have to do it again ( Proverbs 19:19 ).

A guy with a hot temper, you know, you may get in and help him out, but man, you're just going to have to do it again.

Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that you may be wise in the latter end. There are many devices in man's heart; nevertheless the counsels of the LORD, they shall stand ( Proverbs 19:20-21 ).

In other words, you can't really fight against God or against God's Word. Now you may have all kinds of devices. You may be figuring out all kinds of schemes, but ultimately, you know, God's Word is going to stand. There is an old Greek saying, "The dice of the gods are loaded." That means you just can't go against God's Word and win. God has said certain things and you may scheme and device all you want. But the Word of the Lord is going to stand. And any time you try to go against the Word of God you're going to lose.

The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. The fear of the LORD tends to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he will not be visited with evil ( Proverbs 19:22-23 ).

So the fear of the Lord, how important it is. Reverencing God. It just tends towards life. You'll be satisfied. Not be visited with evil.

The slothful man [again, the lazy man] he hides his hand in his bosom ( Proverbs 19:24 ),

And this is really lazy.

he won't even so much as bring it to his mouth ( Proverbs 19:24 ).

That's really lazy. When you get so lazy you're not going to feed yourself, you've had it.

Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge. He that wasteth his father, and chases away his mother, is a [rat, he's a] son that causes shame, and brings reproach. Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causes to err from the words of knowledge. An ungodly witness scorns judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity. Judgments are prepared for the scorners, and stripes for the backs of fools ( Proverbs 19:25-29 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

This humorous picture is of a person so lazy that he cannot even lift his food from his plate to his mouth (cf. Proverbs 26:15). The point is that a lazy person will bear the consequences of his own laziness. This warning is applicable to those who are too lazy to finish the projects they begin. [Note: Whybray, The Book . . ., p. 111.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

A slothful [man] hideth his hand in [his] bosom,.... In cold weather to keep it warm, and at other times, as unwilling to use it in labour; it is the proper posture and just attitude of a slothful man. The word for "bosom" is sometimes used for a "pot" or "platter" u; and then the sense is, that he puts his hands under a pot over a fire to warm them; or in one removed at some distance from the fire, as Jarchi; or rather it may signify his putting his hand into a plate of food, and yet so slothful, as it follows,

and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again; so sluggish, that he will rather starve than be at the pains to feed himself; he will not take his hand out of his bosom, to take food out of the dish to feed himself with; and even when his hand is in the dish, he will not take it from thence again, and lift it to his mouth; an hyperbolical expression. Gussetius w thinks, it may have respect to such slothful men, who are careless and negligent to their souls; who, though they have the holy Scriptures in their hands, like a vessel full of wholesome food for the soul, yet will not make use of the least mite out of them, that they may receive eternal life.

u בצלחת "in patinam", Tigurine version; "in lebete", Mercerus, Michaelis; "in patinia", Cocceius; "in paropsidem", Schultens. w Ebr. Comment. p. 715.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      24 A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

      A sluggard is here exposed as a fool, for, 1. All his care is to save himself from labour and cold. See his posture: He hides his hand in his bosom, pretends he is lame and cannot work; his hands are cold, and he must warm them in his bosom; and, when they are warm there, he must keep them so. He hugs himself in his own ease and is resolved against labour and hardship. Let those work that love it; for his part he thinks there is no such fine life as sitting still and doing nothing. 2. He will not be at the pains to feed himself, an elegant hyperbole; as we say, A man is so lazy that he would not shake fire off him, so here, He cannot find in his heart to take his hand out of his bosom, no, not to put meat into his own mouth. If the law be so that those that will not labour must not eat, he will rather starve than stir. Thus his sin is his punishment, and therefore is egregious folly.