Proverbs 6:13 describes a person who communicates with secret signals, such as winking, nudging with the feet, and gesturing with the fingers, usually to deceive or stir up trouble. The verse is a warning: a person who speaks one way with the mouth while conveying something else through body language is working toward harm. It comes from the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, traditionally attributed to Solomon, and is addressed to a young man learning how to recognize people who can damage his life.
Who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers…
Proverbs 6:13 (WEB)
What Proverbs 6:13 Means
The verse lists three kinds of silent communication. “Winks with his eyes” points to a glance meant for one person while others are watching. “Signals with his feet” suggests a nudge under a table or a shuffled step that tells an accomplice to get ready. “Motions with his fingers” describes a hand sign that carries a message without a word spoken. Together they paint a picture of someone running a private conversation beneath the public one.
The verse does not say that every wink or gesture is sinful. People wink at friends, and hand signals have ordinary uses. The point is the combination of a hidden message with a deceptive purpose, which the surrounding verses make clear. The proverb is describing a pattern of character, not condemning every nonverbal cue.
The Context of Proverbs 6:13
The book of Proverbs is a collection of short sayings meant to form practical wisdom in the reader, and much of it is framed as a father’s counsel to his son. Chapter 6 moves from warnings about laziness and co-signing debts to a description of a “worthless person” in verses 12 through 15. Verse 13 is the middle of that portrait, showing how such a person operates day to day.
The verses just before the passage describe a slow slide into poverty through idleness, and the verses after it describe the sudden ruin that follows a scheming heart. Read in that setting, the signals in verse 13 are not harmless quirks. They are the visible sign of a mind that “devises evil continually” and “sows discord,” and they warn the reader to pay attention to what is going on beneath the surface of a conversation.
Key Phrases in Proverbs 6:13
Proverbs 6:16-19
16 There are six things which the LORD hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood; 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, 19 a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.
(WEB)
This passage continues the list of things the LORD hates, including “a lying tongue” and one who “sows discord among brothers.” Reading it alongside verse 13 shows that the signals described there are a form of the same deceit and division the proverb condemns throughout.
Psalm 15:1-2
1 The LORD, who shall dwell in your sanctuary? Who shall live on your holy hill? 2 He who walks blamelessly does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart…
(WEB)
This psalm asks who may dwell with God and answers with a life of integrity, speaking truth from the heart. It offers a positive picture to set against the hidden schemes of verse 13, pointing to honesty that does not need secret signals to get its way.
A Short Prayer From Proverbs 6:13
Lord, you see what is hidden in every glance, gesture, and silence. Give me a heart that is honest in what I say and in how I say it. Help me notice when something in a room is not right, and give me the courage to speak plainly rather than join a game I do not understand. Guard my own eyes, feet, and hands from being used to deceive anyone. Teach me to be a person whose words and actions match, so that others can trust me. Amen.
