We will find no real help in looking at the Hebrew word for lazy man, or sluggard. It means . . . well, it means lazy man or sluggard. Some things are so universal that they translate well into any language; we all understand what a shirker is. It would simplistic to say that poverty is always caused by laziness, period, as some believe. But it is equally simplistic to say that no poverty is caused by laziness — as a number of others believe. The linkage we have in our minds between laziness and poverty is one that the Scriptures helped to create. How many times in Scripture do we find the two mentioned together in one breath?
But the Bible does not just say that laziness is an engine of poverty. There are other aspects of this sin. First, laziness is shameful. However common it might be, the Bible teaches that laziness remains a disgrace. “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame” (Prov. 10:4-5). As a sin which brings shame, we should consider well some of its identifying characteristics. As we learn, we should remember that laziness has an obvious alternative. “Go to the ant, you sluggard! . . . ” (Prov. 6:6-11). If we put these two truths together, we see that at least some poverty is shameful — precisely because it was brought about by sinful choices. When the judgment is accurate, this is not “blaming the victim,” but rather blaming the perpetrator. This does not mean that the honest, working poor are to be blamed — the Scriptures never do that. But from the frequency of the warnings in Proverbs on the subject, we may conclude that a significant percentage of the poor are in that condition because of their own poor work ethic. So, for those in that condition, they ought to be ashamed. But instead, in our culture we try to shame the person who was inept enough to point out the obvious. Lazy bums don’t have to feel ashamed. But you must feel ashamed if you use the phrase lazy bum.
But Proverbs won’t give up this point. Laziness has no follow through. A lazy man may have bursts of activity, and he may even get something done during one of them. But he does not maintain; he does not persevere. “The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man’s precious possession” (Prov. 12:27). Sometimes the lack of follow-through is extraordinary—a very simple thing could be done to bring a project to completion, but he does not do it. “A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again. Strike a scoffer, and the simple will become wary; rebuke one who has understanding, and he will discern knowledge” (Prov. 19:24-25). The solution to laziness is seen in this passage as well—the lazy must be permitted to eat their own cooking (or not, as the case may be). As St. Paul put it, a man not willing to work shouldn’t eat.
Laziness if full to the brim of excuses. “The lazy man says, There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!” (Prov. 22:13). Sometimes the excuses are unreasonable—the ancient Hebrew equivalent of “the dog ate my homework,” or “aliens kidnapped me . . . what year is it?” Other times the excuses may seem more plausible and hence reasonable, but the results are still the same. “The lazy man will not plow because of winter; he will beg during harvest and have nothing” (Prov. 20:4).
Laziness is full of “wisdom.” “In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty. The crown of the wise is their riches, but the foolishness of fools is folly” (Prov. 14:23-24). The lazy man wears his foolish talk like a crown. He may be full of proverbial wisdom concerning work, but his wisdom is like the legs of a lame man (Prov. 26:7).
“The lazy man says, ‘There is a lion in the road! A fierce lion is in the streets!’ As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed. The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl; it wearies him to bring it back to his mouth. The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly” (Prov. 26:13-17). Even though the lifestyle is ludicrous, and the folly is apparent to all around, the lazy man has it all figured out. He has more wisdom (in his own eyes) than seven wise men.
Not surprisingly, laziness is an irritation to others. “As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy man to those who send him” (Prov. 10:26). This is not surprising. If one of them is lazy, two men will have very different ideas of what constitutes diligence.
Laziness, like many other things in the world, compounds with interest. “Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger” (Prov. 19:15). “The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich” (Prov. 13:4). Laziness is not rest; it does not prepare for work. It only prepares for more laziness. The laziness grows, along with frustrated desire. Unwillingness to work for something is not the same thing as a willingness to not have it.
Laziness provokes hastiness and deceit. “The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty. Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death” (Prov. 21:5-6).It is a set up for boneheadedness and lies.
For a man who loves the easy way, laziness is hard to explain, because laziness is hard. “The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway” (Prov. 15:19). Proverbs teaches us that laziness is counterproductive; it does not accomplish its desired end. “The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor” (Prov. 12:24).
And last, laziness is an object lesson, one to be pointed out to your boys. “I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding . . .” (Prov. 24:30). If we are not allowed to talk about it, we cannot teach our sons. And so it must be noted that, at a certain level, laziness is a public event and not a private matter.