Proverbs 24

Please see License for Copyright notice and Licensing information.
[ Previous | Next ]

Proverbs 24

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 counsellors 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.

Notes

Cross Reference

Concordance

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 5

<html>A wise man is with strength A wise man is always with strength.</html>

Verse 7

<html>Wisdom is as pearls to the fool Heb. ראמות, a type of rare precious stone, as it is stated (Job 28: 18): “Pearls (ראמות) and beryls.” All wisdom appears to the fool as unattainable, [as difficult] to purchase as precious stones and pearls, saying, ‘’How will I learn Torah? When will I attain it?” But the wise man studies a little today and a little tomorrow.</html>

Verse 8

<html>He who plots to do evil He plans strategies of wickedness. is called a man of wicked designs He brings harm to himself, for people call him a man of wicked designs, a counsel of the wicked.</html>

Verse 9

<html>The counsel of folly Heb. זמת אולת, the counsel of folly is sin for those who perpetrate it. and what makes man an abomination is scorn Scorn is what makes man an abomination to the Holy One blessed be He, and to people.</html>

Verse 10

<html>If you have become lax in the Torah. on a day of trouble your strength will be weak indeed The ministering angels will not maintain your strength. This is the midrash of the Sages (Midrash Mishle ad loc., Berachoth 63a). But according to its simple meaning, you have become lax on the day of your friend’s trouble, and stand from afar. your strength will be weak indeed on the day of your punishment, as it is written (Esther 4:14): “For if you remain silent, etc.”</html>

Verse 11

<html>rescuing those taken, etc. To rescue those taken to death. If you refrain from rescuing them, concerning this I said, “Your strength will be weak indeed.”</html>

Verse 12

<html>will you say Heb. כי תאמר. And this instance of כי is used as an expression of “perhaps.”</html>

Verse 13

<html>Eat honey, my son It is customary for people to eat honey because it is good; so too know wisdom for your soul, and just as you run to eat honey, so should you run to know wisdom.</html>

Verse 14

<html>if you have found it, then you will have a future.</html>

Verse 19

<html>Do not compete to be like them, as in (Jer. 12:5): “How will you compete (תתחרה)?” Also, (ibid. 22:15): “for you compete (מתחרה) with the cedar.”</html>

Verse 21

<html>My son, fear the Lord and the king Fear the Lord and fear the mortal king, but only if he does not turn you away from the fear of the Lord, for the fear of the Lord is always first. do not mingle with dualists Heb. שונים, who say that there are two powers [governing the world].</html>

Verse 22

<html>and the ruin of both of them The ruin of the idol and the ruin of its worshippers.</html>

Verse 23

<html>These too are for the wise All the statements in the following section are addressed to the wise who sit in judgment, that they should not show respect to persons in judgment, for it is not good.</html>

Verse 26

<html>Lips should kiss It is fitting that all lips kiss him.</html>

Verse 27

<html>Prepare…outside This refers to Scripture. and make it fit in the field This is Mishnah. afterwards you shall build your house This is Talmud (Sotah 44a). Another explanation according to its apparent meaning: In the beginning, buy yourself fields and vineyards, and afterwards make it fit, ועתדה, an expression concerning goats (עתודים). Stock your field with livestock, and afterwards you shall build a house, meaning that you shall take a wife.</html>

Verse 28

<html>that you should be enticed with your lips You should be enticed by your friend with your speech.</html>

Verse 30

<html>a lazy man who does not review the memorization of his studies.</html>

Verse 31

<html>thistles Heb. קמשונים, thistles.nettles חרלים. They are larger than thistles, and they are as sharp as thorns. and its stone fence had been torn down Thus, one who does not review his studies first forgets the beginnings of the chapters and at the end confuses the names of the Sages from this one to that one, thereby saying “unclean” for something that is clean and “clean” for something that is unclean, and he destroys the world.</html>

Verse 34

<html>your poverty will come strolling The things that impoverish you will come to you quickly.</html>

ARC Wiki

Table of Contents

Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24

Notes

Cross Reference

Concordance

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 5

Verse 7

Verse 8

Verse 9

Verse 10

Verse 11

Verse 12

Verse 13

Verse 14

Verse 19

Verse 21

Verse 22

Verse 23

Verse 26

Verse 27

Verse 28

Verse 30

Verse 31

Verse 34