Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
English Standard Version (ESV)
While we often think of ants storing food for winter, the verse emphasizes their inherent wisdom and constant activity, showing they prepare their food when it's available, not out of fear of scarcity but simply as a matter of diligent habit. This highlights that true wisdom isn't just about avoiding disaster, but about embracing proactive, ongoing effort in all things.
Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following a warning against becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt, the text shifts to address the destructive habit of laziness itself. The author urges the sluggard to observe the ant, highlighting its tireless work ethic and careful provision for the future. This example serves as a stark contrast, demonstrating that even the smallest creatures exhibit a wisdom and diligence that lazy humans conspicuously lack.
Ever watch an ant? It's easy to dismiss them as tiny and insignificant. But Solomon urges us to see something profound in their 'ways'.
Solomon points to the ant not just for its busyness, but for its purposeful activity. While we might not see the full scope of an ant's work—gathering food, building, caring for young—its constant motion is a model. Unlike humans who need external motivation, bosses, or deadlines, the ant labors out of an internal drive. This isn't just frantic activity; it's diligent preparation, even when no one is watching.
We often look for wisdom in grand pronouncements or from respected leaders. But here, wisdom is found in the most humble of creatures.
The command to 'be wise' by observing the ant is a powerful spiritual lesson. It means humility is the first step to wisdom. Sluggards, often proud and dismissive of hard work, need to be humbled enough to learn from a creature they might otherwise ignore. True wisdom isn't about knowing everything yourself; it's about being open to learn from God's creation, recognizing His design and principles even in the smallest of His works.
We might imagine ants hoarding food for winter like we do. But their 'gathering' is more nuanced, and that distinction holds a vital lesson.
Contrary to a common misconception, ants don't necessarily lay up food for a winter sleep. Their gathering is about preparing for the . They collect and store food when it's most abundant, ensuring they have what they need for the periods when they are awake and working. This isn't about selfish hoarding, but about provident care for their needs and community. It teaches us responsible stewardship – using abundance wisely to prepare for future needs, not out of greed, but out of foresight.
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Understand the original words
'atsel · Hebrew Noun
Refers to a habitually lazy or slothful person who fails to exert necessary effort in life, work, or spiritual matters. It implies a lack of diligence and self-discipline that leads to poverty or stagnation.
bin · Hebrew Verb
The act of applying one's mind to a subject, observing, and discerning truth. Biblically, it involves deep contemplation and intellectual attention to God's created order or instruction to gain understanding.
chakam · Hebrew Adjective
Refers to the state of being spiritually, morally, or practically astute. Wisdom is the skill of living life in accordance with God's will and understanding the consequences of one's actions.
This passage also uses the ant as an example, specifically highlighting its foresight and preparation, reinforcing the idea of learning practical wisdom from nature's creatures.
Galatians 6:7This verse directly contrasts sowing and reaping, and while not mentioning ants, it echoes the principle that actions (or inaction, in the case of the sluggard) have predictable consequences, a core lesson learned from observing the ant's diligence.
2 Thessalonians 3:10This passage directly addresses idleness by stating, 'If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat,' which aligns with the ant's industrious provision and serves as a parallel admonition against sloth.
Colossians 3:23This verse encourages doing 'everything as though you were doing it for the Lord,' which captures the spirit of the ant's tireless work, implying that diligence and dedication in our tasks, whatever they may be, have a higher purpose.
gillProverbs 6:6: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:"
Go to the ant, thou sluggard,.... That art become surety for another, and got into a snare and net, and yet takest no pains to get out. Or this may be directed, not to the surety, but the debtor; who, through his slothfulness, has contracted debts, and uses no industry to be in a capacity to pay them. Or, it may be, this has no connection with the former; but the wise man proceeds to a new subject, and to dissuade fro…
clarkeProverbs 6:6: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:"
Go to the ant, thou sluggard - נמלה nemalah, the ant, is a remarkable creature for foresight, industry, and economy. At the proper seasons they collect their food - not in the summer to lay up for the winter; for they sleep during the winter, and eat not; and therefore such hoards would be to them useless; but when the food necessary for them is most plentiful, then they collect it for their consumption in the proper…
While we often think of ants storing food for winter, the verse emphasizes their inherent wisdom and constant activity, showing they prepare their food when it's available, not out of fear of scarcity but simply as a matter of diligent habit. This highlights that true wisdom isn't just about avoiding disaster, but about embracing proactive, ongoing effort in all things.
Following a warning against becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt, the text shifts to address the destructive habit of laziness itself. The author urges the sluggard to observe the ant, highlighting its tireless work ethic and careful provision for the future. This example serves as a stark contrast, demonstrating that even the smallest creatures exhibit a wisdom and diligence that lazy humans conspicuously lack.
Following a warning against becoming a guarantor for someone else's debt, the text shifts to address the destructive habit of laziness itself. The author urges the sluggard to observe the ant, highlighting its tireless work ethic and careful provision for the future. This example serves as a stark contrast, demonstrating that even the smallest creatures exhibit a wisdom and diligence that lazy humans conspicuously lack.
"Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." — While we often think of ants storing food for winter, the verse emphasizes their inherent wisdom and constant activity, showing they prepare their food when it's available, not out of fear of scarc…
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Last reviewed October 2026