Proverbs 22:13 (KJV)

Passage

The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:11 He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

Proverbs 22:12 The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and he overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

Proverbs 22:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

Proverbs 22:14 The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.

Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "slothful", "saith", "lion", "without", "shall", "slain", and "streets". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "slothful" 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 preserve knowledge..." into verse 14's "The mouth of strange women is a...", so "slothful" 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 "slothful" and "saith" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.