Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 6:13
He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;
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, , LXX.
teacheth ] This is retained in R.V. marg. ( , 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 Nvius: “alium tenet, alii adnictat, alibi manus est, alii percellit pedem.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
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.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
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.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13, 14. If, for fear ofdetection, he does not speak, he uses signs to carry on hisintrigues. These signs are still so used in the East.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He winketh with his eyes,…. Not through natural infirmity, but purposely and with design; with one of his eyes, as Aben Ezra, as is usual with such persons: it is the air and gesture of a sneering and deceitful man, who gives the wink to some of his friends, sneering at the weakness of another in company; or as signifying to them some secret design of his against another, which he chooses not to declare in any other way;
he speaketh with his feet; the motions of the feet have a language; the stamping of the feet expresses rage; here it seems to intend the giving of a him to another, by privately pressing his foot with his, when he should be silent or should speak, or do this or the other thing he would have him do;
he teacheth with his fingers; by stretching them out or compressing them; and so showing either scorn and contempt x, or rage and fury. The whole of it seems to design the secret, cunning, artful ways, which wicked men have to convey their meanings to one another, without being understood by other persons; they have a language to themselves, which they express by the motions of their eyes, feet, and fingers: and this character of art and cunning, dissimulation and deceit, fitly agrees with the man of sin, 2Th 2:10. So mimics are said to speak with their hands; some have been famous in this way y.
x “In hunc intende digitum”, Plauti Pseudolus, Act. 4. Sc. 7. v. 45. “—-aliis dat digito literas”, Ennius. y Vid. Barthii Animadv. ad Claudian. de Consul. Mallii Paneg. v. 311.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Verses 13-14 show the wickedness of this enemy as total and complete by listing five body components devoted to evil plus two of the evils for which they are used:
1) Mouth, Vs. 12 2) Eyes, Vs. 13a 3) Feet, Vs. 13b 4) Fingers or hands, Vs. 13c 5) Heart, Vs. 14a
6) Mischief devised continually, Vs. 14b 7) Soweth discord, Vs. 14c
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(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 neighbours character.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
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.)
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 6:13. He winketh It is a remark of St. Ambrose, that the mein and gesture of the body are an image of the mind; and he was so delicate upon this subject, that he would not ordain the son of one of his particular friends, because the young man’s air and manner were by no means conformable to clerical gravity. The motion of the body is as it were the voice of the soul. Ovid says,
Verba superciliis, fine voce silentia dicant; Verba leges digitis, verba notata mero.
See his Amor. 1: and Calmet.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
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.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Pro 5:6, Pro 10:10, Job 15:12, Psa 35:19
Reciprocal: Psa 10:8 – his eyes Psa 17:11 – set Isa 58:9 – the putting
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
6:13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he {g} teacheth with his fingers;
(g) Thus all his gesture tends to wickedness,