Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise
Proverbs 6 warns against rash promises and idleness. Here God sends the lazy man to school, and the teacher is an insect: what can an ant show him, and how far does the lesson reach?
The choice of an insect is itself part of the rebuke. One writer shows how far the lazy man has fallen, and where his laziness ends:
The sluggard has sunk so low that Jehovah tells him to learn from the tiny "ant." That teacher is enough for him. In the same way, the New Testament uses the lilies of the field to rebuke anxiety about clothing. Scripture says nothing here about hoarding for winter; in fact, like many animals, ants are mostly dormant then. But they work without stopping. They keep good order. They even care for others through the summer and harvest, while they can still be active. That may well shame the self-indulgent sleeper. … Poverty comes on the listless and lazy like a tramp, or like an armed man who will not be refused.
Now compare the two pupils. The ant has no leader; the man has the greater mind:
They work day and night. They build vast, well-shaped mounds for homes and barns, three times larger than the Egyptian pyramids compared with the size of the tiny builders. They march and labour together, have their own wars, care for their sick, and they do all of it without a chief, an overseer, or a ruler. Yet man, with higher intelligence and a higher work to do, can be a sluggard.
The verse does not say admire the ant; it says study her. The Hebrew name itself points to what you would see:
The Hebrew word nemalah is said to come from a root meaning "to crowd together," which fits all ants. Buxtorf traces it from the root "to eat." This insect is held up as a practical reproof to the sluggard. Scripture says that it provides its food in the summer and gathers its food in the harvest. Sceptics object that ants eat meat and could not store such food in summer. But there is plenty of evidence that they do lay up grain in the summer, and if it gets damp they bring it out into the sun to dry. Another point worth noting: they have "no guide, overseer, or ruler." Yet no one can watch this insect without seeing that they are "exceeding wise." Each one finds its own particular work and diligently does it — a profitable lesson for the saints of God to learn.
So commentators differ on one detail. One points to the grain stored up in summer. The other finds no hoarding in the passage at all, and stresses the ant's work while the season lasts.
The ant is weak, and the verse still holds her up. That refuses the excuse most often used by the lazy — that they have too little to work with:
The sluggard is one given up to laziness. He might well consider the object lesson of the ant, a creature so small, yet a willing worker. Without captain, overseer or ruler, she diligently uses the summer to provide food, gathering during harvest to meet her needs for the winter. God has certainly made her to be an object lesson for anyone who wants to live in idleness.
Some have claimed that Scripture contradicts itself here, since elsewhere it tells the believer not to be anxious. One writer answers that the two passages do different jobs:
These words give no ground at all to those who claimed a contradiction with Prov. 6:6-8. Proverbs presses the ordinary duty of industry, and so reproves the sluggard using the hard-working ant as its text. These words call the believer to rely in faith on the Father's care, without an anxious thought. The one is as true as the other. But the call to trust goes deeper and rises higher, because of the revelation of the Father's name to those who believe on the Son.
Being wise also means preparing for the future you actually face:
The ant rightly lives only for earth, and prepares for the only future she will have. But when a man prepares only for earth, that is folly. His earthly future is nothing compared with the eternity he must face. But the ant is meant to teach wisdom in diligence and to reprove laziness.
Sloth can also settle over the soul. It shows in what stops:
We begin to be slothful Christians when we fail to enjoy the love of God to us in Christ. It starts when Christ Himself is no longer the Object and Hope of our hearts. It starts when meditating on the word of God becomes tiresome and private prayer declines. It starts when private praise and making melody in the heart to the Lord stops, and we no longer overflow with love to our Saviour God, to His ways, His people, and His service.
- Go — God sends the lazy man to an insect; the tiny ant is teacher enough for one who has sunk so low.
- Consider — the word is a command to study, not admire: no guide, overseer or ruler, yet each ant finds its work and does it.
- Be wise — wisdom here is matching labour to the season, since summer and harvest do not wait.
- Balance — the ant teaches hard work; Scripture also calls the believer to trust the Father's care without an anxious thought. The second goes deeper.
- Reach — the ant prepares for the only future she has; a man who prepares only for earth has misread how long he lives.
which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
The seventh verse of Proverbs 6 sits inside a short portrait of the ant, held up to a lazy man as a teacher. What stands out is what the ant lacks: no chief, no officer, no ruler — and yet the work still gets done.
The chapter has been urging earnest action. It turns next to lazy folly, and the teacher chosen is itself the rebuke.
In full contrast with the earnestness urged here is the lazy folly which is next pictured so vividly. The sluggard has sunk so low that Jehovah tells him to learn from the tiny "ant". That little creature is teacher enough for him. In the same way, the New Testament uses the lilies of the field to rebuke anxiety about clothing. The passage says not a word about storing up for winter — in fact, like many animals, ants are mostly dormant then. But in summer and harvest, while they are free to be active, they work without stopping, keep good order, and even care for one another. That may well shame the self-indulgent sleeper.
This verse does not call the ant disorganised. Order appears with no one giving orders, and each worker still knows its job. (Older translations read "guide" and "overseer" where the ESV has "officer".)
The Hebrew word for ant is said to come from a root meaning "to crowd together", which fits every kind of ant. Another point worth noting is that they have "no guide, overseer, or ruler". Yet no one can watch this insect without seeing that they are "exceedingly wise". Each one finds its own particular work and does it diligently. That is a profitable lesson for God's people to learn.
The ant does all this with no leader. A man with far more given him can still be a sluggard.
They swarm in the woods and in the fields; they work day and night… They build huge, evenly shaped mounds and use them as homes and barns. For the size of the tiny builders, these mounds are three times larger than the Egyptian pyramids. They march and work together, have their own wars, and care for their sick. They do all of it without a chief, an overseer, or a ruler. Yet man, with higher intelligence and a higher work to do, can be a sluggard.
Diligence here is not just practical advice. One writer traces it back to God's own order for man.
The beginning of this chapter states two great principles of life. Do not commit yourself for the future, and do not be lazy and idle in the present. God has set us in this place; humble diligence is a duty now — His ordinance since the fall. "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread." "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."
The New Testament also calls believers to rest in the Father's care. Some have read that as clashing with the ant's example. Commentators say the two lessons do not contradict each other.
This hardly needs saying. The words give no ground at all to those who claimed a contradiction with Proverbs 6:6-8. Proverbs presses the ordinary duty of industry, and so it reproves the sluggard by pointing to the hard-working ant. The other passage calls the believer to hold on to faith's reliance on the Father's care, without an anxious thought. The one is as true as the other. But trust in the Father goes deeper and rises higher, because God has revealed the Father's name to those who believe on the Son.
The passage ends with the price of idleness. The size of the teacher is part of the point.
The sluggard is one given over to laziness. He might well consider the object lesson of the ant — a creature so small, yet a willing worker. Without captain, overseer, or ruler, she works hard through the summer to provide food. She gathers in the harvest to meet her needs for winter… Only a little slumber — that is, the hands stopping work — will in the end bring poverty. It comes like a prowler who steals one's living, or like an armed man who strips one of all defence. Let us be workers, not drones!
- No boss. The ant works with no chief, officer, or ruler over it — order without supervision is the whole force of the verse.
- No excuse. Yet each ant finds its own work and does it well. Commentators call that a profitable lesson for God's people.
- No rank. God makes a tiny creature the teacher of a man with higher intelligence and higher work. That is the sting of the rebuke.
- No holiday. Diligence has been God's ordinance since the fall: "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread."
- No conflict. Working like the ant and trusting the Father's care are both true. Industry is the daily duty; trust goes deeper still.
provideth her bread in the summer, [and] gathereth her food in the harvest.
This proverb praises the ant not for her strength but for her timing. She works while the weather allows, and stores what the harvest gives. Two questions follow. Why does a creature with no one over it out-work a man who has been told what to do? And what season is open to you right now?
The ant matches her work to the season she is in. She gathers in summer so that winter does not find her empty.
The sluggard is one given up to laziness. He might well consider the object lesson of the ant, a creature so small, yet a willing worker. With no captain, overseer or ruler, she works hard through the summer to provide food, gathering it in the harvest to meet her needs for the winter. God certainly made her this way as an object lesson for anyone who wants to live in idleness.
Verse 7 says she has no chief, officer, or ruler. Verse 8 says she works anyway. The shame falls on man, who can do far more and still needs prodding.
The ant is a marvellous little creature. Modern science has studied this little insect closely. What it found is stated here in a few words by the Lord, the Creator... They build huge, even-shaped mounds and use them as homes and barns. Compared to the size of the tiny builders, these mounds are three times larger than the Egyptian pyramids. They march and work as one, fight their own wars, and care for their sick. They do all of it without a chief, an overseer or a ruler. Yet man with a higher intelligence and a higher work to do can be a sluggard.
The ant's Hebrew name carries its own meaning. And the habit this verse describes has drawn objections.
The Hebrew word nemalah seems to come from a root meaning "to crowd together," which fits all ants. Buxtorf traces it to the root "to eat." Scripture uses this insect as a practical rebuke to the lazy man... Sceptics object to this, since ants are thought to be meat-eaters that could not store such food in summer. But there is plenty of evidence that they do store grain in the summer. If it gets damp, they bring it out into the sun and dry it. Another point worth noting: they have no chief, officer, or ruler. Yet no one can watch this insect without seeing that they are "exceedingly wise." Each one finds its own work and does it with care — a valuable lesson for God's people to learn.
Commentators differ over whether the verse points to a winter store at all. One reading puts the weight on the activity itself, carried on while the season is open.
The sluggard has sunk so low that Jehovah tells him to learn from the tiny "ant," teacher enough for him... The verse says nothing about storing up for winter. In fact, like many animals, ants are mostly inactive then. But in summer and harvest, while they can still be active, they work without stopping, keep good order, and even care for one another. That may well shame the lazy man who lives for his own comfort.
The ant's foresight reaches as far as her life does. A man who copies only her industry, and not her habit of looking ahead, has misread the lesson.
The ant is right to live only for earth, and she prepares for the only future she will have. When a man prepares for earth alone, it is folly. His future on earth is nothing next to the eternity he must face. Yet the ant is there to teach us wisdom in hard work, and to rebuke laziness.
Some have claimed this verse clashes with the call to trust the Father's care without an anxious thought. One writer answers that each passage does a different work.
It hardly needs saying that these words give no ground at all to those who claimed they contradict Proverbs 6:6-8. Proverbs presses the ordinary duty of hard work, and so rebukes the lazy man with the example of the hard-working ant. Those other words call the believer to rest by faith in the Father's care, without an anxious thought. The one is as true as the other.
- Season — She works in summer and gathers at harvest, using the window God gave her before it closes.
- Self-started — With no captain, overseer or ruler, each ant finds its own work and does it. The verse rebukes the man who needs someone standing over him.
- Small — Size sharpens the rebuke. A creature this tiny is teacher enough for a man with greater intelligence and greater work to do.
- Sure — Sceptics doubted that ants store grain at all. The evidence answers them. Commentators differ over whether the verse stresses the store or the endless work.
- Beyond summer — The ant prepares for the only future she has. A man who prepares only for earth has copied her labour and missed her wisdom.