We continue a collection of longer proverbs.
Proverbs 24:1-2, Beware the wicked
Do not envy wicked men,
do not desire their company;
for their hearts plot violence,
and their lips talk about making trouble.
This is one more proverb (eg. Proverbs 23:17) warning one away from envying people who appear to be successful but are only supported by their deceit and wickedness. One underlying theme of the book of Proverbs is that one must look past the surface and not be fooled by appearances.
Proverbs 24:3-4, Knowledge and understanding
By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
Wisdom builds and establishes a house, says this proverb, and then Knowledge fills the house with beauty. The literal house may have turned metaphorical by the end of this saying, the house representing life in general.
Proverbs 24:5-6, Guidance and advice
A wise man has great power,
and a man of knowledge increases strength;
for waging war you need guidance,
and for victory many advisers.
For success, in life or war, one needs Wisdom-Knowledge.
Proverbs 24:7, Embarrassed fool
Wisdom is too high for a fool;
in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.
The gate is the court where decisions are made. The fool has no idea of how to conduct himself there. (As I write these words, I see obvious examples from today's news.)
Proverbs 24:8-9, On reputation
He who plots evil
will be known as a schemer.
The schemes of folly are sin,
and men detest a mocker.
Here is one more saying, similar to the first verses of the chapter, warning one away from the attractive scheming of the selfish man.
Proverbs 24:10-11 Persistence in difficulties
If you falter in times of trouble,
how small is your strength!
Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
There are times where intervention and rescue are important.
Proverbs 24:12, God is watching
If you say, "But we knew nothing about this,"
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?
One may make up excuses, "I didn't know." But God is observing, knowing the events and the heart. As in the previous passage, there are times where intervention and rescue are important.
Proverbs 24:13-14, Sweet wisdom
Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul;
if you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.
Honey is always viewed as a delicisious reward. Wisdom, says the Teacher, is just as sweet.
Proverbs 24:15-16, Resilience of the righteous
Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house,
do not raid his dwelling place;
for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
The righteous man is persistent (see verses 10-11.) His persistence (rising seven times after seven defeats) is something that the wicked and the outlaws do not understand. Embedded in this is a suggestion to the righteous: Do not be discouraged! Get back up!
Proverbs 24:17-18, Do not gloat!
Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him.
Following on verses 12 (God's vision) and 15-16 (the protection of the righteous), is a warning to not gloat when one's enemies fail. Remember, you want God on your side!
Proverbs 24:19-20, Wickedness eventually leads to ruin
Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of the wicked,
for the evil man has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
Do not be angry and bitter! The evil person has no real longterm hope. This proverb repeats the concepts in verses 1 and 2, above.
Proverbs 24:21-22, Honor God and king
Fear the LORD and the king, my son,
and do not join with the rebellious,
for those two will send sudden destruction upon them,
and who knows what calamities they can bring?
In the culture of the ANE, one is warned away from attempting to overthrow the political structures of society. Both YHWH and the king are powerful. In New Testament times 1 Peter 2:17 includes instructions about respect and honor, of neighbors and of fellow believers and "fear God, honor the emperor."
Proverbs 24:23-26, Honesty
These also are sayings of the wise:
To show partiality in judging is not good:
Whoever says to the guilty, "You are innocent"--
peoples will curse him and nations denounce him.
But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and rich blessing will come upon them.
An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
Justice and impartiality are bedrocks of a healthy society. (There is just as much a need for honesty and justice today as there was 2500 years ago.) One should view honesty as precious, just like a lover's kiss.
Both Alter and Davidson see the first line of verse 23 as the beginnings of a new collection of anonymous teachings.
Proverbs 24:27, Planning
Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house.
Work is a prelude to wealth and security. First put your time into the fields (the workplace of the agricultural ANE) and then, after the crops have been planted, you will have time to build your home. The underlying principle stresses the importance of building one's estate slowly, in the proper order. (See also verses 3 and 4, above.)
Proverbs 24:28-29, False witness
Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,
or use your lips to deceive.
Do not say, "I'll do to him as he has done to me;
I'll pay that man back for what he did."
False testimony against one's neighbor is condemned in the Ninth Commandment (eg. Exodus 20:16.)
As in verses 23-26, above, justice and impartiality are bedrocks of a healthy society. And if one is harmed by another, they must avoid vengeance and bitterness. (Similar proverbs on vengeance and bitterness occur in Proverbs 17:13, Proverbs 20:22 and Proverbs 25:21.)
Proverbs 24:30-34, The sluggard
I went past the field of the sluggard,
past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest--
and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.
Teachings about the sluggard is a theme throughout Proverbs. Here verse 33 repeats verse 10 of Proverbs 6:10-11.
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