Chapter Summary
Proverbs 6 covers more ground than almost any other chapter in the book. It opens with a warning about co-signing someone else's debt, moves to a lesson from the ant about diligence, lists the seven things God hates, and then returns to the danger of adultery.
The ant passage in verses 6 through 11 is one of the most famous in Proverbs. The ant has no overseer, no manager, no one telling it what to do. It simply works. Solomon holds it up as a model of self-motivated diligence.
Verses 16 through 19 list the seven things the LORD detests: proud eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that rush to evil, a false witness, and someone who stirs up conflict.
Related Bible Story
Judges 6:11 to 16 · Old Testament
Gideon: Diligence in Small Things
How faithfulness in the everyday prepares a person for the extraordinary
Connection to Proverbs 6
Gideon was doing the work in front of him when God called him. Verse 6 says go to the ant and observe her ways. The ant does not wait for ideal conditions. Gideon was not in ideal conditions either, but he was working. Once called, he acted with complete diligence despite his fear.