A sluggard is here exposed as a fool, for, 1. All his care is to save
himself from labour and cold. See his posture: He hides his hand in his
bosom, pretends he is lame and cannot work; his hands are cold, and he
must warm them in his bosom; and, when they are warm there, he must
keep them so. He hugs himself in his own ease and is resolved against
labour and hardship. Let those work that love it; for his part he
thinks there is no such fine life as sitting still and doing nothing.
2. He will not be at the pains to feed himself, an elegant hyperbole;
as we say, A man is so lazy that he would not shake fire off him, so
here, He cannot find in his heart to take his hand out of his bosom,
no, not to put meat into his own mouth. If the law be so that those
that will not labour must not eat, he will rather starve than stir.
Thus his sin is his punishment, and therefore is egregious folly.