Proverbs 22:13 (GNV)

Passage

The slouthfull man saith, A lyon is without, I shall be slaine in the streete.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:11 Hee that loueth purenesse of heart for the grace of his lippes, the King shalbe his friend.

Proverbs 22:12 The eyes of the Lord preserue knowledge: but hee ouerthroweth the wordes of the transgressour.

Proverbs 22:13 The slouthfull man saith, A lyon is without, I shall be slaine in the streete.

Proverbs 22:14 The mouth of strage women is as a deepe pit: he with whom the Lord is angry, shall fall therein.

Proverbs 22:15 Foolishnesse is bounde in the heart of a childe: but the rodde of correction shall driue it away from him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "slouthfull", "saith", "lyon", "without", "shall", "slaine", and "streete". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "slouthfull" and "saith", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "The eyes of the Lord preserue knowledge..." into verse 14's "The mouth of strage women is as...", so "slouthfull" and "saith" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "slouthfull" and "saith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.