Proverbs 6:13

Pro 6:13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

Ver. 13. He winketh with his eyes.] He is restless in evil, and with his odd tricks and gesticulations seeks to spread mischief, even there, where he dares not otherwise discover himself. Or the sense may be this: Though he speak froward things, though he slander and detract, to the hurt of the hearers, yet as if he spake nothing but truth, and out of deep affection to the party, he seeks to assure it by the constance of his countenance, by the gravity of his gait, and by the motion of his fingers, to make believe that it is so indeed, when as in truth it is neither so nor so.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro_6:13

He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers.

Secret ways of speaking

The wicked man not only his abuseth big mouth, but also his eyes, feet, and fingers. When he is ashamed, or wants power to utter his mind as he would in words, he makes it known by signs; showing forth his spleen, lust, or contempt by his eyes, feet, or fingers. He is much addicted to perverse speeches who, when his tongue fails, speaks with his other members. He cannot hold; he must make his mind known to his brethren in evil some way or other. He makes known occasions of evil to his companions by signs. He acts his part to draw others to folly. What he cannot or dare not persuade to by words, that he doth by gestures. His tongue is not sufficient to express his wickedness. He useth gestures instead of words. He omits no way to stir up others to wickedness. He useth three quick members, that are easily moved, to show his quick, wicked wit by them. He abuses all the members of his body, but especially eyes, feet, and hands, to be signs of lewdness, he is wholly composed of fraud, and while he counterfeits goodness in words, practices mischief by signs. The froward person cannot always speak well, and therefore must sometimes hold his peace, and show his mind by tokens, lest his wicked disposition be discovered.

I. A wicked man makes his mind known by his eyes. So Eliphaz conceived of Job (Job_15:12. See also Psa_35:19).

1. In general. There is a faculty in all the members, some way or other to express the thoughts of the heart, though not so clear as in the tongue. Men use these faculties when they are ashamed to speak what they would have, or would be understood only by their partners in evil, to whom they give particular known tokens.

2. In particular. Men by the eyes give signs of wantonness. Men wink for flattery, as conniving at, or tacitly commending what others say or do. Or for derision, as intimating secretly to a friend that another mans words or actions are ridiculous. Or for secret solicitation to another, to do some evil, as to strike or wound a man.

II. A wicked mans feet can speak. They speak--

1. Rage and anger, as when men stamp with their feet.

2. Murder, when they go apace to take occasion to kill.

3. Wantonness. So the treading on the toe is commonly interpreted by wantons.

III. A wicked mans fingers teach folly.

1. Anger. Men hold out the finger by way of threatening.

2. Derision. We can mock with our fingers.

3. Mischief. By lifting up the finger giving a sign to hurt others. (Francis Taylor, B. D.)

How character is expressed

Naughty people think that no one knows anything about their naughtiness, when the truth is, that everybody knows it. The inward character of the man is expressed through mouth, eyes, hands, and feet.

I. eyes. He winketh with his eyes. How much of the character the eye expresses! There is the open, clear, intelligent look that speaks volumes. There is the low, cunning look, the guilty, stealthy look of the criminal--well known and easily detected by experts. The eye speaks all the motions of the mind. It can command, entreat, repel, invite, subdue. Emerson says, The eye obeys exactly the action of the mind.

II. Feet express the character. Compare the firm step of the business man and the shuffling wriggle of the loafer. How much of bad character is expressed in the word tramp! The Bible often designates the whole character of a man by the word walk.

III. Hands have a language. The wave of the hand, the use of the hands in public address, the sign or signal between two persons. The dumb talk together with their hands. Learn--

1. If you would be received as a worthy person, you must be worthy at heart.

2. If you would be known as upright, you must be such at heart.

3. If you aspire to rank in the community as a lady or gentleman, you must be such in every fibre of your being. Character always carries its own certificate with it. (George H. Smyth.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6:13 wink . . . nudge . . . wiggle: These behaviors were signals used while trying to deceive the innocent.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Hebrew, speaketh.

Thus all his gesture tendeth to wickedness.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

If, for fear of detection, he does not speak, he uses signs to carry on his intrigues. These signs are still so used in the East.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 13. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers] These things seem to be spoken of debauchees; and the following quotation from Ovid, Amor. lib. i., El. iv., ver. 15, shows the whole process of the villany spoken of by Solomon:

Cum premit ille torum, vultu comes ipsa modesto

Ibis, ut accumbas: clam mihi tange pedem.

Me specta, nutusque meos, vultum que loquacem

Excipe furtivas, et refer ipsa, notas.

Verba superciliis sine voce loquentia dicam

Verba leges digitis, verba notata mero.

Cum tibi succurrit Veneris lascivia nostrae,

Purpureas tenero pollice tange genas, &c., &c.

The whole elegy is in the same strain: it is translated in Garth's Ovid, but cannot be introduced here.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(13) He winketh with his eyes . . .—A picture, taken from the life, of a malicious tattler and scandalmonger, who fills out his lying tale with winks and signs, whereby even more is suggested than he says, to the blasting of his neighbour’s character.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. winketh] Comp. Pro_10:10; Psa_35:19.

speaketh] Not only the tongue (Pro_6:12), but the eye, the foot and the hand are used to make false suggestions, and to further his deceitful designs. Comp. Pro_16:30. Shuffleth, R.V. marg., is a rendering adopted by many good scholars, σημαίνει, LXX.

teacheth] This is retained in R.V. marg. (διδάσκει, LXX.), but giveth signs, R.V. text, is preferable.

Attention has been called to the striking parallel of the description in the Tarentilla of the Latin poet Nævius: “alium tenet, alii adnictat, alibi manus est, alii percellit pedem.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Frowardness is in his heart,.... Or perverse things; evil habits and principles of sin; all manner of wickedness, errors and heresies; things contrary to right reason, repugnant to the will and law of God, and the reverse of sound doctrine; all evil thoughts and evil things; see Mat 15:19;

he deviseth mischief continually; against his neighbours, and especially against good men; he is continually planning schemes, contriving methods, ways, and means, how to disturb, distress, and ruin men; being a true child of Belial, or of the devil, his heart is the forge where he is continually framing wickedness in one shape or another; and the ground which he is always ploughing up and labouring at to bring forth sin and wickedness, and with which it is fruitful;

he soweth discord; or "strifes" (z): the Syriac version adds, "between two"; which Jarchi interprets between a man and his Maker; rather between a man and his neighbour; between one friend and another; between husband and wife, parents and children, brethren and brethren, magistrates and subjects; between kings and princes of the earth in which sort of work the man of sin, antichrist, has been very busy. The Targum is, "he casteth out strifes", as firebrands among men. The words in the Hebrew text are, "he sendeth out discord", or "strife" (a); these are the messengers sent out by him to make mischief.

(z) "contentiones", Pagninus, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Mercerus, Gejerus; "jurgia", V. L. "lites", Baynus, Cocceius; "litigia", Schultens. (a) "mittet", Pagninus, Montanus; "immittit", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Mercerus, Gejerus, Schultens, Michaelis.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Finger. These signs imply haughtiness, &c., Psalm xxxiv. 19., and Isaias lviii. 9. The posture indicates the interior sentiments, (St. Ambrose, off. i. 18.) insomuch, that St. Ambrose would not receive among the clergy one whose gestures were too light. The Persians still speak by signs. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He vents his wickedness, as by his speech, so also by his gestures, whereby he secretly signifies what he is afraid or ashamed to express openly to his accomplices, his intentions or desires of some evil towards another person; which having in the general declared by the motion of his eyes or feet, he points out the particular person by his fingers.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. His arts are further described.

He winketh with his eyes, etc. — He deceives not with speech only, but uses covert means to effect his object.

So associates in wickedness at the present day are said to “give” each other “the wink.” The flash language of modern rogues is, probably, an advance on the speech of villainy in Solomon’s day. The Orientals are wonderfully proficient in making communications to each other by means of signs and gestures with the eyes, the hands, and the feet. The number of signs of this sort which have a wide and most extensively understood signification, and which are, in fact, in current use among the people, is very large. — Kitto. They wear neither shoes nor sandals in their houses, so that their feet and toes are exposed. When guests wish to speak with each other, so as not to be observed by the host, they convey their meaning by their feet and toes. When merchants wish to bargain in the presence of others, without having them knew their terms, they sit on the ground, have a piece of cloth thrown over their lap, and then put each a hand under, and thus speak with their fingers. When the Brahmins convey religious mysteries to their disciples, they teach with their fingers, having their hands concealed in the folds of their robes. (Roberts.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers. He employs his other members for the same nefarious purpose. In the language of St. Paul, he yields his members to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity. (Rom_6:19) "To wink with the eye (karats ayin)," as in Pro_10:10 and Psa_35:19, or "with the eyes (karats b"eynayim)," is properly to compress or nip them together, and so to wink, and give the signal to others not to interfere (Gesenius and Delitzsch); cf. the LXX, enneuei ofyalmw ; and the Vulgate, annuit oculis. Aquila and Theodoret, however, read, knizei , "he vexes or annoys. " The observation of the teacher in Pro_10:10 is, "He that winketh with his eyes causeth sorrow." The same verb karuts is also used of the compression or closing of the lips in Pro_16:30. He speaketh with his feet; i.e. he conveys signs by them to his companion; cf. the LXX, shmainei de podi , and the Vulgate, terit pede, which conveys much the same meaning. He teacheth with his fingers; or, as more fully expressed in the LXX, didaskei de enneumasi daktulwn , "he teacheth by the signs of his fingers." Symmachus has daktulodeiktwn , which, however, in its strictly classical use (see Demosthenes, 790, 20) is pointing at with the finger. "Teaching" is only the secondary meaning of the Hebrew participle moreh, which is here used. The verb yarah, to which it belongs, means properly to extend or stretch out the hand for the purpose of pointing out the way (compare the Hebrew shalakh yod, and the Latin monstrare), and hence came to mean "to teach." The crafty and deceitful character which is here presented to as is strikingly reproduced in Ecclesiasticus: "He that winketh with the eyes worketh evil: and he that knoweth him will depart from him. When thou art present, he will speak sweetly, and will admire thy words: but at the last he will writhe his mouth, and slander thy sayings. I have hated many things, but nothing like him; for the Lord will hate him" (Ecc 27:22-24). The heathen poet Naevius says of the impudent woman"Allium tenet, alii adnutat, alibi manus Est occupata: est alii percellit pedem.

Compare also Ovid"s words ("Amor.," 1:4, 16)"Clam mihi tange pedem: Me specta, mutusque meos, vultumque loquacem... Verba superciliis sine voce loquentia dicam; Verba leges digitis.

So Tibullus, 1:12"Illa viro coram nutus conferre loquaces Blandaque compositis abdere verba notis.

The lesson which we may learn from this verse is not to abuse the members of our bodies, by employing them for the purposes of deceit and hypocrisy, and so to promote evil, but to put them to their natural and legitimate use.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

he winks with his eyes winks of deceit.

shuffles with his feet He rubs one on the other.

points with his fingers They are all expressions of hinting: one applies to the eye, one applies to the foot, and one applies to the finger, but the main idea is that it is speaking of the wicked.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.