The issue of free will and compulsion is behind much of the material in Proverbs. Behind the metaphorical slavery is the economic fact that has been true in many cultures through most of history: impoverishment can end, if not in death, then in debt and slavery. One could be sold for the sake of one’s creditors. Thus: “The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor” (Proverbs 12:24; ESV).
And sloth is a behavior a person is responsible for, but it is a self-reinforcing behavior. When we read that “A worker’s appetite works for him; his mouth urges him on” (Proverbs 16:26; ESV), we might think it is one of those observations about the way the world is. But it is not. It is a statement about the way the world would work ideally if there were no sin or foolishness. For Solomon knows that many are impervious to their own needs: “The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back” (Proverbs 21:25–26; ESV). According to Proverbs, the sluggard won’t even finish what he starts (19:24), rationalizes his behavior through fears (22:13), and can’t be convinced by reason that his behavior is irrational (26:16).
Sloth is arguably both the mother and daughter of all other vices, since many bad compulsive behaviors arise during a lull in productive work and themselves disrupt a person from being productive.
The slavery involved in vices is repeatedly observed in Proverbs:
- “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).
- “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Proverbs 25:28).
- “The righteousness of the upright delivers them, but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust” (Proverbs 11:6).
- “Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes” (Proverbs 6:25).
- “The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor” (Proverbs 21:25).
- “Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings” (Proverbs 31:3).
- “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise” (Proverbs 20:1).
- “The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray” (Proverbs 5:22-23).
Not that “addiction” to wine fits in with other compulsive behaviors. I put the word “addiction” in quotation marks not because I don’t believe that it is a real phenomenon but because there are various theories about it and I don’t want anyone to assume I am agreeing with them. In Proverbs, “addiction” is one form of compulsive behavior, bad habit, or vice. Apparently, other bad behaviors have a similar effect on the character of a person even though they don’t involve importing chemicals into the body.
A while back I heard this podcast interview with Steven Slate on addiction. I”m not sure I would agree with all Slate’s formulations but do think his approach is right in general. In particular, he suggested to interviewer Tom Woods that substance abuse should be compared to being in a bad intimate relationship:
I recently thought of this when thinking about how Solomon explains the attraction to foolish behavior:
The woman Folly is loud;
Proverbs 9:13–18; ESV
she is seductive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
People act “bound” to behaviors that
For those who are interested, here is Steven Slate’s Ted Talk.
