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The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
Verse Takeaways
1
A Dish, Not a Shirt
Commentators widely agree that the image is not of a man hiding his hand in his shirt, but dipping it into a communal food dish, a common practice at ancient Eastern feasts. This context makes the sluggard's laziness even more extreme: he has food literally on his hand but is too lazy to lift it to his mouth, highlighting the absurdity of his sloth.
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4
18th Century
Presbyterian
Hideth his hand in his bosom - Better, dips his hand in the dish (compare 2 Kings 21:13). The scene brought before us i…
19th Century
Anglican
A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom. —Better, in the dish that stood in the middle of the table at a Middle Eastern dinne…
17th Century
Reformed Baptist
A slothful [man] hides his hand in [his] bosom In cold weather to keep it warm, and at other times, as unwilling to use i…
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Indolence, when indulged, so grows upon people, that they have no heart to do the most necessary things for themselves.