The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Proverbs 26:13
What does Proverbs 26:13 mean?
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Proverbs 26:13
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This verse highlights how the sluggard fabricates dangers that don't exist, using grand, terrifying imagery like "lion in the road" and "lion in the streets" to justify their inaction. The use of two different words for lion, perhaps one for a younger, one for a mature beast, intensifies the imagined threat and reveals the absurd lengths laziness will go to invent obstacles.
The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a series in Proverbs highlighting the folly of laziness. The author is painting a picture of extreme inactivity, building up a case against the "sluggard." Right before this, the proverbs focus on general foolishness and the consequences of a wrong attitude, and immediately after, they continue to detail various excuses and behaviors of the lazy person, culminating in how they see themselves as wiser than diligent people.
Ever felt like you're facing impossible obstacles? Some people see lions in their path to avoid doing anything. What's really going on when we feel paralyzed by fear or perceived danger?
Proverbs 26:13 paints a vivid picture of the sluggard's mindset. This person doesn't just see a potential challenge; they invent a roaring lion in ordinary circumstances.
The Imagined Threat
The sluggard isn't facing a literal lion in the streets. This is hyperbole, an exaggerated excuse for inaction. Whether it's a "lion in the road" (a larger, perhaps more obvious danger) or a "lion in the streets" (a danger in the everyday, public sphere), the point is the same: the threat is manufactured to justify staying put.
The Purpose of the Excuse
This imaginary lion serves a crucial purpose for the sluggard: it's a shield against responsibility. It allows them to avoid work, risk, and effort. Instead of facing the real challenges of life, they conjure up monstrous, but ultimately fictional, barriers.
We often think of wisdom as being clever or knowledgeable. But Proverbs suggests wisdom is deeply connected to action. What happens when we value our excuses more than wise living?
This verse, and the ones that follow it in Proverbs 26, contrast the sluggard's supposed wisdom with true wisdom.
The Sluggard's 'Logic'
The sluggard believes their fear is practical. By avoiding the "lions," they think they're being sensible, staying safe. They might even see themselves as wiser than those who bravely face the day's tasks, assuming those people are foolishly risking danger.
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The Reality of True Wisdom
Solomon, however, shows this is a perverted logic. True wisdom isn't about avoiding all risk; it's about discerning when to act and how to act effectively. It involves diligence, courage, and a willingness to engage with the world, not retreat from it. The sluggard’s inaction, disguised as prudence, actually leads to loss and reproach.
Understand the original words
atsel · Hebrew Noun
A person characterized by habitual laziness, procrastination, and a lack of diligence; it implies a failure to fulfill one's duties and a spiritual stagnation that ignores God's call to work.
This verse presents the identical excuse of the sluggard, highlighting that fear and exaggerated dangers are recurring themes for those who avoid responsibility.
Matthew 13:25In Jesus' parable of the sower, the enemy sowing weeds among the wheat represents the subtle ways negative influences can invade and disrupt good growth, much like the imagined 'lions' that prevent the sluggard from acting.
1 Corinthians 15:32Paul speaks of 'fighting with wild beasts at Ephesus,' illustrating that facing genuine dangers and difficulties is sometimes part of life and ministry, contrasting sharply with the sluggard's fabricated excuses.
Hebrews 12:1This passage calls believers to 'run with endurance the race that is set before us,' urging them to lay aside hindrances, which is the opposite of the sluggard who creates his own insurmountable obstacles.
2 Timothy 4:3The warning that people will not 'endure sound teaching' but will 'heap up teachers' to suit their own desires mirrors the sluggard's tendency to justify his inaction with self-serving, unrealistic fears.
pooleProverbs 26:13: "The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets."
To excuse his idleness, and keeping himself at home. See Poole "Proverbs 22:13" .
bensonProverbs 26:13: "The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets."
Proverbs 26:13-16 . The slothful man saith, &c. — “In this and the following verses, three degrees of sloth are represented; the first, when a man is loath to stir out of doors about his business in the field, Proverbs 26:13 ; the second, when he is loath so much as to leave his bed, Proverbs 26:14 ; and the third and highest, when he will scarcely put his hand to his mouth, Proverbs 26:15 . By which…
This verse highlights how the sluggard fabricates dangers that don't exist, using grand, terrifying imagery like "lion in the road" and "lion in the streets" to justify their inaction. The use of two different words for lion, perhaps one for a younger, one for a mature beast, intensifies the imagined threat and reveals the absurd lengths laziness will go to invent obstacles.
This passage is part of a series in Proverbs highlighting the folly of laziness. The author is painting a picture of extreme inactivity, building up a case against the "sluggard." Right before this, the proverbs focus on general foolishness and the consequences of a wrong attitude, and immediately after, they continue to detail various excuses and behaviors of the lazy person, culminating in how they see themselves as wiser than diligent people.
This passage is part of a series in Proverbs highlighting the folly of laziness. The author is painting a picture of extreme inactivity, building up a case against the "sluggard." Right before this, the proverbs focus on general foolishness and the consequences of a wrong attitude, and immediately after, they continue to detail various excuses and behaviors of the lazy person, culminating in how they see themselves as wiser than diligent people.
"The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!”" — This verse highlights how the sluggard fabricates dangers that don't exist, using grand, terrifying imagery like "lion in the road" and "lion in the streets" to justify their inaction. The use of two…
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Last reviewed October 2026