Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
Proverbs 20:13
What does Proverbs 20:13 mean?
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Proverbs 20:13
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse highlights that it's not sleep itself that's the problem, but immoderate indulgence in it, which steals away valuable time and fosters laziness. Instead of mere survival, "plenty of bread" suggests not just enough to eat, but true satisfaction and abundance that comes from diligence.
Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This proverb is part of a larger collection within Proverbs that contrasts wisdom with foolishness, often using vivid imagery of diligence versus laziness. It's sandwiched between verses that warn against laziness in general and the negative consequences of a drunkard's lifestyle, painting a consistent picture of the dangers of uncontrolled indulgence and sloth. The surrounding verses and the book's overall theme emphasize that practical wisdom leads to a stable life, while foolish choices lead to ruin.
We all need sleep, but Proverbs warns against 'loving' it too much. What's the difference between healthy rest and destructive slumber?
This verse presents a fascinating tension: sleep is a natural and necessary blessing, a gift from God that restores our bodies and minds. However, like any good thing, it can be pursued to an extreme. The proverb isn't condemning sleep itself, but an 'immoderate' or 'excessive' love for it. When sleep becomes an idol, something we prioritize above our responsibilities and God-given work, it leads to poverty – not just financial, but also a spiritual and practical barrenness. It's about finding the balance, taking rest because we need it, not because we crave the escape.
The solution to potential poverty isn't a secret formula, but a simple, active posture. What does it mean to 'open your eyes' in a practical sense?
The antidote to destructive slumber is straightforward: 'open your eyes.' This isn't just about physically waking up; it's a call to alertness, diligence, and engagement with life. It means shaking off apathy and sloth, recognizing our duties, and actively pursuing them with vigor. When we are attentive to our tasks, whether they are in our jobs, our homes, or our service to others, we lay the foundation for provision. The promise isn't necessarily extravagant riches, but 'plenty of bread' – sufficiency, enough to meet our needs. It's the reward of active participation, a direct result of using the faculties God has given us.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
resh · Hebrew Noun
The state of lacking basic necessities, often used in Proverbs as a consequence of laziness, poor judgment, or lack of discipline. It is both a physical condition and a warning against spiritual lethargy.
This passage directly warns against laziness and sleeping too much, mirroring the caution in Proverbs 20:13 about losing provision due to excessive slumber.
Proverbs 24:33This verse paints a vivid picture of a sluggard's field overrun with weeds, illustrating the inevitable consequence of neglecting work—poverty and ruin—as warned in Proverbs 20:13.
1 Thessalonians 4:11Paul urges believers to 'aspire to live a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands,' echoing the sentiment of Proverbs 20:13 that diligence and focused effort lead to sufficiency, not idleness.
2 Thessalonians 3:10This verse explicitly states, 'If anyone is unwilling to work, let him not eat,' directly connecting the refusal to be diligent with a lack of provision, reinforcing the message of Proverbs 20:13.
bensonProverbs 20:13: "Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread."
Proverbs 20:13 . Love not sleep — That is, immoderate sleep, nor sloth, or idleness. Take sleep because necessity requires it, not from any love to it; lest thou come to poverty — Lest thou reduce thyself to beggary. Persons that indulge themselves in sleep to excess, not only lose the time which they spend therein, but contract a listless, indolent disposition and habit, and ar…
pulpitProverbs 20:13: "Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread."
Verse 13. - Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty (see Proverbs 6:9, etc.). The fate of the sluggard is handled again in Proverbs 23:21, as often before; e.g. Proverbs 12:11; Proverbs 19:15. The LXX., taking שֵׁנָה (shenah), "sleep," as perhaps connected with the verb שְׁנָה (shanah), translate, "Love not to rail, that thou be not exalted (ἵνα μὴ ἐξαρωῇς)," i.e. probably, "Do…
The verse highlights that it's not sleep itself that's the problem, but immoderate indulgence in it, which steals away valuable time and fosters laziness. Instead of mere survival, "plenty of bread" suggests not just enough to eat, but true satisfaction and abundance that comes from diligence.
This proverb is part of a larger collection within Proverbs that contrasts wisdom with foolishness, often using vivid imagery of diligence versus laziness. It's sandwiched between verses that warn against laziness in general and the negative consequences of a drunkard's lifestyle, painting a consistent picture of the dangers of uncontrolled indulgence and sloth. The surrounding verses and the book's overall theme emphasize that practical wisdom leads to a stable life, while foolish choices lead to ruin.
This proverb is part of a larger collection within Proverbs that contrasts wisdom with foolishness, often using vivid imagery of diligence versus laziness. It's sandwiched between verses that warn against laziness in general and the negative consequences of a drunkard's lifestyle, painting a consistent picture of the dangers of uncontrolled indulgence and sloth. The surrounding verses and the book's overall theme emphasize that practical wisdom leads to a stable life, while foolish choices lead to ruin.
"Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread." — The verse highlights that it's not sleep itself that's the problem, but immoderate indulgence in it, which steals away valuable time and fosters laziness. Instead of mere survival, "plenty of bread"…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026