Chapter
Verse

Proverbs 6:7

ESV Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,
NIV It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
NASB Which, having no chief, Officer, or ruler,
CSB Without leader, administrator, or ruler,
NLT Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work,
KJV Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
NKJV Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler,

What does Proverbs 6:7 mean?

Pointing to the ant as an example of wisdom for its hard work, Solomon says it doesn't have any chief officer or ruler. The ant doesn't have to be commanded to work, it does so of its own accord. A worker ant is so industrious that it can carry twenty times its body weight in food back to its colony. Just a glance at an ant colony reveals how busy these tiny creatures are.

Christians, too, should not need prodding or supervision to work hard. The apostle Paul admonished Christian slaves to work as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart as unto the Lord (Ephesians 6:6–7). Today, this admonition applies to Christian employees. They should work hard not just when the boss is around, but at all times, because they want to please the Lord. It's tempting to spend an undue amount of time "slacking off," or avoiding actual work, but Christians should be as industrious as the ants Solomon writes about.
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