Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Proverbs Chapter 6
Metaphysically Interpreting Proverbs 6:1-35
6:1My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor,
If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger;6:2Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth,
Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.6:3Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself,
Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor:
Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor;6:4Give not sleep to thine eyes,
Nor slumber to thine eyelids;6:5Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter,
And as a bird from the hand of the fowler.6:6Go to the ant, thou sluggard;
Consider her ways, and be wise:6:7Which having no chief,
Overseer, or ruler,6:8Provideth her bread in the summer,
And gathereth her food in the harvest.6:9How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?
When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?6:10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to sleep:6:11So shall thy poverty come as a robber,
And thy want as an armed man.6:12A worthless person, a man of iniquity,
Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth;6:13That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet,
That maketh signs with his fingers;6:14In whose heart is perverseness,
Who deviseth evil continually,
Who soweth discord.6:15Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly;
On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.6:16There are six things which Jehovah hateth;
Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him:6:17Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood;6:18A heart that deviseth wicked purposes,
Feet that are swift in running to mischief,6:19A false witness that uttereth lies,
And he that soweth discord among brethren.6:20My son, keep the commandment of thy father,
And forsake not the law of thy mother:6:21Bind them continually upon thy heart;
Tie them about thy neck.6:22When thou walkest, it shall lead thee;
When thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee;
And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.6:23For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light;
And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:6:24To keep thee from the evil woman,
From the flattery of the foreigner's tongue.6:25Lust not after her beauty in thy heart;
Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.6:26For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread;
And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.6:27Can a man take fire in his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?6:28Or can one walk upon hot coals,
And his feet not be scorched?6:29So he that goeth in to his neighbor's wife;
Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished.6:30Men do not despise a thief, if he steal
To satisfy himself when he is hungry:6:31But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold;
He shall give all the substance of his house.6:32He that committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding:
He doeth it who would destroy his own soul.6:33Wounds and dishonor shall he get;
And his reproach shall not be wiped away.6:34For jealousy is the rage of a man;
And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.6:35He will not regard any ransom;
Neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
August 31, 1947: Prov. 6:6-11
What law is discernible throughout nature? The law that makes activity a necessity to all things capable of it. “All things are full of labour.” Bound up with this necessity is the instinct of self-preservation.
What faculty common to man and the lower animals is closely connected with this instinct? Wisdom. Without compulsion from without, ants obey the instinct of self-preservation by laying up supplies of food when it is available in order to survive foodless seasons. Certain other animals have similar habits.
Is work a curse or a blessing? Although many workers regard it as a curse from which they plan to escape at as early an age as possible, work is a blessing to every normal person. Physical labor develops skill and muscle; mental labor develops the power to co-ordinate one's thoughts and draw logical conclusions; spiritual exercise develops character and lends poise and balance, as well as power, to make conscious use of one's inner resources.
Why is the exercise of our spiritual nature in youth important? Because the rule “Use or lose” holds good especially at that age. Lifelong habits are most readily formed in youth. “Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.”
September 21, 1947: Prov. 6:16-19
What are some of the undesirable traits of which we are to rid ourselves by denial or guard against developing? Personal pride (“haughty eyes”), untruthful speech (“ a lying tongue”), violent disregard of the rights of others (“hands that shed innocent blood”), evil scheming (“heart that deviseth wicked purposes”), an attitude that is receptive to evil (“feet that are swift in running to mischief”), total disregard of truth (“ a false witness that uttereth lies”), and the promotion of discord instead of harmony (“he that soweth discord among brethren”).
August 3, 1947: Prov. 6:20-23
Is experience always a desirable teacher? No. There are many experiences that children should be taught to avoid. Children and youth, who are properly trained, instinctively avoid undesirable experiences
How do we make truth altogether our own? By keeping it in mind continually, thinking and meditating upon it until the thought of it becomes Instinctive and loved.
What is the purpose of a commandment? To enlighten and to insure obedience. In the former sense “the commandment is a lamp.”
“When thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.” What is the meaning of this statement? Where it is fully honored and observed, the law is held in mind, until it becomes at home in us and serves us as a reminder in time of need.
Transcribed by Lloyd Kinder on 10-28-2013
