Idleness: A Gateway to Mischief
Commentators unanimously identify idleness as the root danger. They explain that people who lack meaningful work often don't remain merely idle; they fill their time with unproductive and harmful activities. As Albert Barnes notes, 'if any one is not found doing what he ought to do, he will commonly be found engaged in doing what he ought not.' This verse serves as a timeless warning that unstructured, purposeless time can lead to sin.