Proverbial Hump Day: Proverbs 12:27

The diligent prize their possessions

Proverbs 12: 27 is pretty straightforward. One could call it “common sense,” but as we know, it’s not so common.

A lazy man does not roast his game, but a diligent man prizes his possession.

The idea that a lazy man doesn’t roast his game might seem like a violation of the no-brainer rule, but I suspect that in primitive days (or ancient days), there may have been people who just ate their meat raw. But what I know? It’s not like my name is Cro Magnon.

The King James bible puts that first clause this way:

The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting

The New Living Translation reads …

Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch

Now, I’m not an Old Testament scholar, nor am I learned enough in history to know whether it was common to eat raw meat at one time. If it was, then this statement is quite telling. The lazy want to feed their gut as soon as possible and, therefore, don’t cook their meat.

From Unsplash

Another way to view it is to see it as hyperbole, or an analogy. The author is simply stating that the lazy don’t do what the diligent do. But what do the diligent do?

Don’t Take Anything For Granted

The second half of the verse proclaims that the diligent prize their possessions. The New Living Translation says

but the diligent make use of everything they find.

The King James reads,

but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

Some of the translations state that the diligent man’s wealth is precious.

I don’t think it matters if a person is wealthy or not. If they are diligent in their work, they more than likely value what they obtain. It comes with the territory. I’ve known many a poor or middle-class working person who truly valued their possessions, simply because they worked for them.

Proverbs 12: 27 isn’t so much an encouragement to pursue a moral imperative as it is an observation on the human condition, but there is a moral lesson in that condition. If you want a more joyful, fulfilling life, work hard to obtain possessions that you can call your own—and then value them as if they were rare jewels. You’ll be happier for it even if what you obtain isn’t much.

Allen Taylor is the author of I Am Not the King.