1 Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with
them.
2 For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of
mischief.
3 Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is
established:
4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious
and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of
counsellers there is safety.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the
gate.
8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an
abomination to men.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.
11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and
those that are ready to be slain;
12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that
pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth
not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to
his works?
13 My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb,
which is sweet to thy taste:
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast
found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall
not be cut off.
15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the
righteous; spoil not his resting place:
16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the
wicked shall fall into mischief.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be
glad when he stumbleth:
18 Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his
wrath from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at
the wicked;
20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the
wicked shall be put out.
21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them
that are given to change:
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin
of them both?
23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have
respect of persons in judgment.
24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou are righteous; him shall the
people curse, nations shall abhor him:
25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing
shall come upon them.
26 Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.
27 Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the
field; and afterwards build thine house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive
not with thy lips.
29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render
to the man according to his work.
30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the
man void of understanding;
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had
covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken
down.
32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and
received instruction.
33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the
hands to sleep:
34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as
an armed man.1
Commentary
Verse 2.
Destruction - How they may oppress and destroy others.
Verse 3.
Through wisdom - There is no need that thou shouldest raise thy
family by ruining others, which thou mayest more effectually do by
wisdom.
Verse 4.
By knowledge - Which in scripture phrase includes the love and
practice of what we know.
Verse 5.
Is strong - Is courageous and resolute, and able by wisdom to do
greater things than others can accomplish by strength.
Verse 6.
Thy war - War is better managed by wisdom than by strength.
Verse 7.
A fool - For a wicked man, whose sins enfeeble his mind, and make it
incapable of wisdom. Openeth not - He knows not how to speak
acceptably, and profitably in the publick assembly.
Verse 8.
Shall be called - Though he cover his wicked devices with fair
pretenses, he shall be branded with that infamy which is due to him.
Verse 9.
The thought - The very inward thought or contrivance of evil, is a
sin in God's sight.
Verse 11.
Deliver - When it is in thy power. Drawn - By the violence of
lawless men.
Verse 12.
Consider - That this is only a frivolous excuse.
Verse 13.
Eat - This is not a command, but a concession, and is only here
expressed to illustrate the following verse. Honey in those parts
was an usual food.
Verse 14.
A reward - It is not only sweet for the present, but brings a sure
and everlasting reward.
Verse 16.
Falleth - Into calamities, of which he evidently speaks both in the
foregoing verse, and in the following branch of this verse. Fall -
Frequently into irrecoverable destruction.
Verse 17.
Falleth - Into mischief.
Verse 18.
From him - Understand, upon thee, which is implied in the Hebrew
phrase.
Verse 20.
No reward - All his happiness shall quickly and eternally perish.
The candle - All their comfort and glory shall cease.
Verse 21.
To change - That are unstable in their obedience to God or to the
king.
Verse 22.
Who knoweth - Who can conceive how sore and sudden will be the ruin
of them that fear not God, and the king.
Verse 23.
These - The counsels following, to the end of the chapter, no less
than those hitherto mentioned, are worthy of their consideration.
Verse 25.
Rebuke - That publickly and judicially rebuke and condemn the
wicked. Delight - The peace of a good conscience.
Verse 26.
Shall kiss - Shall respect him. A right answer - That speaks
pertinently and plainly, and truly.
Verse 32.
Received - I learned wisdom by his folly.3
References and notes
1. King James Authorized Version
2. Proverbs Summary An
Outline Study by Fred G. Zaspel - http://www.biblicalstudies.com/bstudy/expostudy/prov.htm
3. John Wesley's Notes on the
Bible - http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/proverbs/wesley/proverbs24.htm
4. The Adam Clarke Commentary - http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=pr&chapter=024
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Why Did God Permit Sin?