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Proverbs 30:25
The antsare a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

1 Timothy 6:19
Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

it gathers its food at harvest.
The gathering of food at harvest time underscores the importance of timing and seizing opportunities. In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, harvest was a critical period, and failure to gather crops could lead to famine. This reflects the biblical theme of reaping what one sows, as seen inGalatians 6:7-9, emphasizing the consequences of one's actions. The ant's behavior is a practical example of wisdom, contrasting with the sluggard's neglect, as described inProverbs 6:9-11. Spiritually, this can be related to the harvest of souls, as Jesus speaks of inMatthew 9:37-38, urging believers to be active in God's work. The ant's diligence serves as a reminder of the need for spiritual vigilance and readiness for the final harvest at Christ's return, as depicted inRevelation 14:15.

“it prepares its provisions in summer”

•The ant’s activity showcases foresight. Rather than reacting to need, it anticipates it. Compare Joseph’s counsel inGenesis 41:34-36, where grain is stored “during the seven years of abundance” to face coming famine.

•Summer is the season of ease, warmth, and plenty. Using times of abundance well honors the Creator who supplies them (Deuteronomy 8:10-18).

•The verse highlights personal responsibility. While God promises care, He also calls His people to diligence (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12).

•Summer preparation points to spiritual readiness. Just as the ant stores food, believers are urged to “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20), investing in eternal priorities while opportunity remains.

•Laziness squanders God-given moments.Proverbs 10:5 warns, “He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.” Active stewardship aligns with wisdom literature’s wider call to industry.

“it gathers its food at harvest”

•Harvest time demands focused labor. The ant does not delay, mirroring Ruth’s gleaning diligence inRuth 2:2-7.

•Gathering implies persistence. The ant’s small size never excuses neglect; similarly, believers are urged, “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap” (Galatians 6:9).

•Harvest scenes picture final accountability. Jesus speaks of a coming harvest where wheat and weeds are separated (Matthew 13:30). Storing now anticipates that future reckoning.

•The phrase stresses completion: work begun in summer is finished at harvest.Proverbs 13:4 contrasts the diligent soul, “made rich,” with the sluggard’s empty craving. Faithful follow-through honors God and secures provision.

•The ant’s teamwork provides a communal example.Nehemiah 4:6 describes the wall rebuilt because “the people had a mind to work.” Collective effort reflects God’s design for His people to serve together.

Proverbs 6:8 commends steady, forward-looking diligence. By preparing in seasons of plenty and gathering when the moment arrives, the ant models wise stewardship of God’s gifts. Scripture consistently praises such foresight, calling believers to combine trust in the Lord with energetic responsibility, knowing that present faithfulness yields future blessing.

"Veluti ingentem formicae farris acervum
Quum populant hiemis memores, tectoque repenunt." So the ants, when they plunder a tall heap of corn, mindful of the winter, store it in their cave. The language of Horace ('Sat.,' 1:50, 32) might be a comment on our passage -

"Parvula (nam exemplo est) magni formica laboris sicut
Ore trahit quodcunque potest, atque addit acervo,
Quem struit, haud ignara ac non incauta futuri,
Quae, simul universum contristat Aquarius annum
Non usquam prorepit, et illis utitur ante Quaesitis sapiens."

"For thus the little ant (to human lore
No mean example) forms her frugal store,
Gathered, with mighty toils, on every side,
Nor ignorant, nor careless to provide
For future want; yet when the stars appear
That darkly sadden the declining year,
No more she comes abroad, but wisely lives
On the fair store industrious summer gives."

(Francis' Translation.) The same provident character is noted in AEsop's fable, 'The Ant and the Grasshopper;' see also Aristotle ('Hist. Nat.,' 9:6). All objections on this subject appear to be based on insufficient data, and have been conclusively answered by recent observation. Apart from the remark of Buffon, that "the ants of tropical climateslay up provisions, and as they probably live the whole year, they submit themselves to regulations entirely unknown among the ants of Europe." The late Professor Darwin states of the agricultural ant of Texas, which in many features resembles the ant of Palestine, that it not onlystores its food, but prepares the soil for the crops, keeps the ground free from weeds, and finally reaps the harvest (Journal of Linnaean Society, vol. 1, No. 21, p. 29). Canon Tristram also observes, "The language of the wise man is not only in accordance with the universal belief of his own time, but with the accurately ascertained facts of natural history. Contrary to its habits in colder climates, the ant is not there dormant through the winter; and among the tamerisks of the Dead Sea it may be seen, in January, actively engaged in collecting the aphides and saccharine exudations, in long flies passing and repassing up and down the trunk. Two of the most common species of the Holy Land (Alta barbara, the black ant, andAlta structor, the brown ant) are strictly seed feeders, and in summer lay up large stores of grain for winter use. These species are spread along the whole of the Mediterranean coasts, but are unknown in more northern climates. Hence writers who were ignorant of ants beyond those of their own countries have been presumptuous enough to deny the accuracy of Solomon's statement" ('Nat. Hist. of the Bible,' p. 320). The Mishna, section 'Zeraim,' also contains a curious piece of legislation which bears testimony to the storing properties of the ant.

Parallel Commentaries ...