Proverbs 24

The collection of "the words of the wise" that begins at Proverbs 22:17 continues through Proverbs 23 and on to verse 22 of this chapter. Beginning at verse 23, a short supplementary collection follows, introduced by the words "These things also belong to the wise." From Proverbs 25 onward, the book continues with proverbs of Solomon compiled by the men of Hezekiah.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 The reader is told not to envy the prosperity of evil men or to desire to be with them.
• Verses 3–7 A house is built by wisdom and established by understanding. War is to be waged by wise counsel, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
• Verses 8–9 Those who devise evil are rebuked, along with the foolish and the scornful.
• Verses 10–12 The reader is told not to faint in the day of adversity and to deliver those drawn unto death. Even if one pleads ignorance, he who weighs the heart will render to every man according to his works.
• Verses 13–14 Just as honey is sweet to the taste, so the one who finds wisdom has a future and a hope.
• Verses 15–16 Though the righteous man falls seven times, he rises up again.
• Verses 17–18 The reader is told not to rejoice when an enemy falls.
• Verses 19–22 The reader is told not to fret because of evildoers, to fear the LORD and the king, and not to associate with those given to change (that is, rebels).
• Verses 23–26 The reader is told not to show partiality in judgment. He who calls the wicked righteous will be abhorred, those who rebuke him will be blessed, and a right answer is like a kiss.
• Verses 27–29 The reader is told to prepare the field first and afterward build the house, not to bear false witness, and not to say, "I will do so to him as he hath done to me."
• Verses 30–34 The speaker tells of seeing the field of the slothful man overgrown with thorns, its stone wall broken down, and of drawing a lesson from it. The chapter ends with the warning that if one says, "Yet a little sleep, a little slumber," poverty will come "as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man."

Key Verses

• Proverbs 24:16 "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again": This verse contrasts the restoration of the righteous with the downfall of the wicked.
• Proverbs 24:17 "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth": This is a representative Old Testament verse on one's attitude toward an enemy.
• Proverbs 24:29 "Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me": This teaching forbids personal retaliation.

People and Places

No individuals are named. The speaker addresses the listener as "my son." The gate was the place where the elders gathered to judge cases and deliberate on public matters (v. 7). The king in verse 21 refers not to a specific person but to ruling authority in general.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 1 and 19 resemble the wording of Psalm 37:1. Verses 33–34 are nearly identical to Proverbs 6:10–11.
• Verse 18 grounds the command not to rejoice over an enemy in the concern "lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him." Interpreters differ on how this motive should be understood. Many commentators read it in connection with the New Testament teaching on love for one's enemies.
• Verse 29 is read alongside Matthew 5:38–42 and Romans 12:17–21.
• Verse 21 is compared with "Fear God. Honour the king" in 1 Peter 2:13–17.
• Some scholars compare the collection in 22:17–24:22 with the Egyptian wisdom text The Instruction of Amenemope. However, the parallels are discussed mainly in connection with chapters 22–23, and views differ on how to assess any relationship of influence.

In the Korean Church

Verse 16 is frequently quoted in sermons and devotional books to encourage believers who are facing failure or hardship.