The Meaning of Proverbs 20:13 Explained

Proverbs 20:13

KJV: Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

YLT: Love not sleep, lest thou become poor, Open thine eyes -- be satisfied with bread.

Darby: Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

ASV: Love not sleep, let thou come to poverty; Open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Love  not sleep,  lest thou come to poverty;  open  thine eyes,  [and] thou shalt be satisfied  with bread. 

What does Proverbs 20:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 20:1-15 - Sobriety Industry Honesty
Strong drink is the greatest of all foes to human happiness. It gains an influence over men by fair promises, but when once it is entrenched, it mocks at the misery of its abject slave. It promises strength for the arm, joy for the heart, brilliance for the mind; but those fair promises are not kept, and the end is impotence, misery, and imbecility. Let each reader of these words henceforth utterly abjure it!
The sluggard is depicted throughout this book to stir us to diligent industry. After all, it is not by great gifts but by patient persistence that men succeed. Indeed, the highest genius is left behind by the careful plodder, if the one lacks and the other possesses this invaluable quality. "Diligent in business, serving the Lord."
All our life lies open to the eye of God. He is closely acquainted with the transactions of the bank, the office, the ledger, and the weights in the store. No lapse from perfect honesty escapes his notice; and for every act of deception there is an inevitable Nemesis. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 20

1  Proper Living

What do the individual words in Proverbs 20:13 mean?

Not do love sleep lest you come to poverty Open your eyes [and] you will be satisfied with bread
אַל־ תֶּֽאֱהַ֣ב שֵׁ֭נָה פֶּן־ תִּוָּרֵ֑שׁ פְּקַ֖ח עֵינֶ֣יךָ שְֽׂבַֽע־ לָֽחֶם

תֶּֽאֱהַ֣ב  do  love 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
שֵׁ֭נָה  sleep 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֵׁנָא 
Sense: sleep.
פֶּן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
תִּוָּרֵ֑שׁ  you  come  to  poverty 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
פְּקַ֖ח  Open 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: פָּקַח  
Sense: to open (the eyes).
עֵינֶ֣יךָ  your  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
שְֽׂבַֽע־  [and]  you  will  be  satisfied 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׂבַע  
Sense: to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited.
לָֽחֶם  with  bread 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֶחֶם  
Sense: bread, food, grain.