The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
Parallel translations
- WEB the ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.
- KJV The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
- NKJV The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
- NASB The ants are not a strong people, But they prepare their food in the summer;
- NLT Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ants, though weak, wisely store up food in summer, modeling diligent foresight.
Overview
The feeble ant displays great wisdom by preparing in advance for future need. This echoes the earlier praise of the ant in Proverbs as a teacher of diligence to the sluggard. It commends industrious provision and planning as marks of wisdom, virtues that honor God's call to faithful stewardship of time and resources.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Prov 6:6–8Walk in the manner of the ant, O slacker; observe its ways and become wise.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 30:25 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.