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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24: the house built by wisdom, the just man who rises, further words of the wise, and the sluggard's field

General context

Be not envious of evil men, whose hearts study destruction. Through wisdom a house is built, by understanding established, and by knowledge its chambers filled. Wisdom is too high for a fool; he opens not his mouth in the gate. If you faint in the day of adversity your strength is small. If you forbear to deliver those drawn to death and say you knew it not, does not he that ponders the heart consider it, and shall he not render to every man according to his works? "My son, eat thou honey": so shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul. The wicked man is told not to lay wait against the dwelling of the righteous, for a just man falls seven times and rises again. Rejoice not when your enemy falls, lest the Lord see it and turn away his wrath from him. Fret not because of evil men, for the candle of the wicked shall be put out. "My son, fear thou the Lord and the king", and meddle not with those given to change. At verse 23 a further heading reads, "These things also belong to the wise." It is not good to respect persons in judgment; he that calls the wicked righteous the people shall curse. Prepare your work outside and afterwards build your house. Say not, I will do to him as he has done to me. The speaker then reports: I went by the field of the slothful, and it was grown over with thorns and nettles, and the stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it and received instruction: yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands, so shall poverty come as one that travels and want as an armed man.

Cited passages: Proverbs 24:1, Proverbs 24:2, Proverbs 24:3, Proverbs 24:4, Proverbs 24:5, Proverbs 24:6, Proverbs 24:7, Proverbs 24:8, Proverbs 24:10, Proverbs 24:11, Proverbs 24:12, Proverbs 24:13, Proverbs 24:14, Proverbs 24:15, Proverbs 24:16, Proverbs 24:17, Proverbs 24:18, Proverbs 24:19, Proverbs 24:20, Proverbs 24:21, Proverbs 24:23, Proverbs 24:24, Proverbs 24:25, Proverbs 24:26, Proverbs 24:27, Proverbs 24:28, Proverbs 24:29, Proverbs 24:30, Proverbs 24:31, Proverbs 24:32, Proverbs 24:33, Proverbs 24:34

Proverbs 24 (KJV)

1Be not thou envious against evil men, neither desire to be with them.

2For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

3Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established:

4And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

5A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

6For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

7Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

8He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

9The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

10If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

11If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;

12If 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?

13My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste:

14So 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.

15Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

16For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

17Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

19Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked;

20For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

21My son, fear thou the Lord and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

22For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

23These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

24He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

25But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

26Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

27Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

28Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

29Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

30I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

31And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

32Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

33Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

34So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

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Historical context

Verses 1 to 22 continue the "words of the wise" begun at 22:17, and verse 23 adds a short heading, "These things also belong to the wise.", which introduces a further set of sayings without naming their author. The speaker of verses 30 to 34 says "I went", "I saw", "I looked", and is not named. "My son" is addressed in verses 13 and 21. The Lord is named in verses 18 and 21, and verse 12 refers to "he that pondereth the heart" and "he that keepeth thy soul" without a name. The king of verse 21 is unnamed, and "them that are given to change" is not explained. Verses 33 and 34 repeat 6:10 and 11 almost word for word, now as the lesson the speaker draws from the field he saw. Verse 29 forbids the reader to say "I will render to the man according to his work", while verse 12 has said of the one who ponders the heart that he "shall not he render to every man according to his works"; the text puts the same sentence in two mouths. The "seven times" of verse 16 is a number the text states, not an event. The sayings on judgment (verses 23 to 26, 28) assume courts, witnesses and answers, but describe no case.

Cited passages: Proverbs 22:17, Proverbs 24:23, Proverbs 24:30, Proverbs 24:32, Proverbs 24:13, Proverbs 24:21, Proverbs 24:18, Proverbs 24:12, Proverbs 24:33, Proverbs 6:10, Proverbs 24:29, Proverbs 24:16, Proverbs 24:28

Literary context

The first part keeps the manner of chapters 22 and 23: a prohibition and its reason, "Be not thou envious ... For their heart studieth destruction", "Rejoice not ... Lest the Lord see it", "Fret not ... For there shall be no reward". Verses 10 to 12 build three "If thou" clauses toward three questions, ending in the one who renders to every man according to his works. Honey in verse 13 is offered as a comparison for knowledge, the same sweetness that 5:3 gave the strange woman's lips and 16:24 gave pleasant words. The house is built twice, by wisdom in verses 3 and 4 and after the field is prepared in verse 27. After the second heading the sayings shorten again (verses 23 to 29), and then the chapter ends in a first-person scene: the speaker passes a field, describes thorns, nettles and a broken wall, and says he "received instruction", the instruction being the lines already given in 6:10 and 11. So the collection closes by showing how a saying is drawn from something seen. Verse 12 and verse 29 hold the same words, rendering to a man according to his work, once as what God will do and once as what the reader must not say. Verse 16 gives the just man seven falls and one rising.

Cited passages: Proverbs 24:1, Proverbs 24:2, Proverbs 24:17, Proverbs 24:18, Proverbs 24:20, Proverbs 24:10, Proverbs 24:12, Proverbs 24:13, Proverbs 5:3, Proverbs 16:24, Proverbs 24:3, Proverbs 24:27, Proverbs 24:31, Proverbs 24:32, Proverbs 6:11, Proverbs 24:29, Proverbs 24:16

Key moments

  1. A house built by wisdom (Proverbs 24:3). A house is built through wisdom, established by understanding and furnished by knowledge.
  2. Those drawn unto death (Proverbs 24:11). The reader is challenged not to hold back from delivering those being drawn to death.
  3. Seven times and rising (Proverbs 24:16). A just man falls seven times and rises again, while the wicked fall into mischief.
  4. Rejoice not at his fall (Proverbs 24:17). The reader is told not to rejoice when an enemy falls, lest the Lord see it.
  5. These things also (Proverbs 24:23). A further heading introduces sayings that also belong to the wise.
  6. The field of the slothful (Proverbs 24:30). The speaker passes the slothful man's field and finds it overgrown and its wall broken.
  7. A little sleep (Proverbs 24:33). The lesson drawn is the saying about a little sleep and poverty that comes like a traveller.

For reflection

Verse 12 says the one who ponders the heart will render to every man according to his works, and verse 29 tells the reader not to say, "I will render to the man according to his work." What changes when the same sentence moves from that mouth to a man's?