The Meaning of Proverbs 6:15 Explained

Proverbs 6:15

KJV: Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

YLT: Therefore suddenly cometh his calamity, Instantly he is broken -- and no healing.

Darby: Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly: in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy.

ASV: Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore shall his calamity  come  suddenly;  suddenly  shall he be broken  without remedy. 

What does Proverbs 6:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 6:1-19 - Avoid Suretyship And Sloth
A young man, being entreated by his friend to go bond for him, consents, in an easy-going way to become his surety. He promises to be responsible for the other's debt. From that moment he resembles a roe caught by a hunter or a bird snared by a fowler. If any shall have enmeshed himself in an obligation of this kind he is exhorted to spare no pains, to stand on no false pride, but to go with all urgency to the man for whom he has pledged his credit, and get released at all cost. If we can afford to be surety, we can afford to lend the money ourselves. If we cannot do the former, it is weak and foolish to do the latter.
The ants swarm in the woods and fields, and rebuke our laziness and thriftlessness. They work day and might, storing their galleries with food, building mounds which relatively to the size of the builders are three or four times larger than the Pyramids. In sickness they nurse one another; in the winter they feed on their supplies. Learn from the ceaseless industry of Nature, and do something worthy before sundown! [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 6

1  against indebtedness
6  idleness
12  and mischievousness
16  seven things detestable to God
20  the blessings of obedience
25  the mischief of unfaithfulness

What do the individual words in Proverbs 6:15 mean?

Upon thus suddenly shall come his calamity suddenly he shall be broken and without remedy -
עַל־ כֵּ֗ן פִּ֭תְאֹם יָב֣וֹא אֵיד֑וֹ פֶּ֥תַע יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר וְאֵ֣ין מַרְפֵּֽא פ

עַל־  Upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
כֵּ֗ן  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
פִּ֭תְאֹם  suddenly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: פִּתְאֹם  
Sense: suddenly, surprisingly subst.
יָב֣וֹא  shall  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵיד֑וֹ  his  calamity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵיד  
Sense: distress, burden, calamity.
פֶּ֥תַע  suddenly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: פֶּתַע  
Sense: suddenness, in an instant.
יִ֝שָּׁבֵ֗ר  he  shall  be  broken 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
וְאֵ֣ין  and  without 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: אַיִן 
Sense: nothing, not, nought n.
מַרְפֵּֽא  remedy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַרְפֵּא 
Sense: health, healing, cure.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation