19:24

This proverb humorously contrasts what a lazy person is willing and unwilling to do. He is willing to put his hand down into a dish of food. But he is unwilling to bring his hand up to his mouth.

24a The slacker buries his hand in the dish ;

24b he will not even bring it back to his mouth.

In Hebrew, the parallel parts form a chiasm. The word order is more literally:

24b
to his mouth he will not even bring it back !

In some languages, a chiastic word order may emphasize the contrast more effectively.

The setting of the proverb is a typical meal in the Middle East. At such a meal, a person normally dipped a piece of bread into a dish containing a vegetable stew or sauce. He then scooped the food into his mouth. The proverb uses exaggeration to make fun of a lazy person. Because of his extreme laziness, he fails to complete even a simple task like eating.

19:24a–b

The slacker buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as buries often refers to hiding something, such as treasure, by burying it in the ground. Here the word is used figuratively to exaggerate the action of the lazy person or slacker. This person is so lazy that he allows his hand to lie hidden or buried in the bowl of food. He does not even lift his hand back to his mouth to eat the food.

There are several ways to translate the exaggerated cultural situation described here:

• In some areas, it may be possible to use the same kind of exaggeration. For example:

The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl;

he will not even bring it to his mouth. (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
The sluggard plunges his hand in the dish,

and he will not even bring it back to his mouth! (NET Bible)

• In areas where people do not dip their hands into a dish, it may be clearer to use more general terms. For example:

Lazy people take food in their hand

but don’t even lift it to their mouth. (New Living Translation (2004))

• Another option is to use terms that are appropriate in your own culture. For example:

A lazy person puts his fork in his food.

He doesn’t even bring it back to his mouth. (God’s Word)

If you substitute a culturally appropriate way of eating, it is suggested that you add a footnote that describes the original cultural context. A possible footnote is:

In Israel at that time, the main meal was often a thick sauce or stew made of vegetables. It sometimes contained meat. This food was put in one dish in the center of the people who were eating together. Each person would dip a piece of bread into the dish and then scoop some food into his mouth.

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