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Proverbs

Chapter 24

Saying 20 and more

Proverbs 24 gathers short sayings that warn against envying the wicked, praise wisdom's strength, and call for courageous justice, patient restraint, and diligent labor. The chapter closes with further sayings of the wise that condemn partiality, commend honest judgment, and portray laziness as a field collapsing into ruin.

Within Proverbs, this chapter extends the collection of wise sayings by tying discernment to public righteousness as well as private conduct. It shows that wisdom strengthens households, restrains vengeance and envy, and trains the reader to act responsibly toward neighbors, rulers, and ordinary work.

12 sections·254 words·~1 min read

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Proverbs 24

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vv. 1-2

Saying 20

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D1o not envy wicked men 2for their hearts devise violence,

vv. 3-4

Saying 21

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B3y wisdom a house is built 4through knowledge its rooms are filled

vv. 5-6

Saying 22

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A5 wise man is strong, 6Only with sound guidance should you wage war,

vv. 7

Saying 23

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W7isdom is too high for a fool;

vv. 8-9

Saying 24

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H8e who plots evil 9A foolish scheme is sin,

vv. 10-12

Saying 25

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I10f you faint in the day of distress, 11Rescue those being led away to death, 12If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,”

vv. 13-14

Saying 26

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E13at honey, my son, for it is good, 14Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul.

vv. 15-16

Saying 27

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D15o not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; 16For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up;

vv. 17-18

Saying 28

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D17o not gloat when your enemy falls, 18or the LORD will see and disapprove,

vv. 19-20

Saying 29

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D19o not fret over evildoers, 20For the evil man has no future;

vv. 21-22

Saying 30

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M21y son, fear the LORD and the king, 22For they will bring sudden destruction.

vv. 23-34

Further Sayings of the Wise

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T23hese also are sayings of the wise: 24Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— 25but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, 26An honest answer given 27Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; 28Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, 29Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;

30I went past the field of a slacker 31Thorns had grown up everywhere, 32I observed and took it to heart; 33A little sleep, a little slumber, 34and poverty will come upon you like a robber,

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Each section keeps the passage focused, adds summaries and cross references, and gives verse-level links.

  1. 01vv. 1-2Saying 20The opening saying forbids envy of wicked men because their inner life is set on violence and harmful speech. What looks powerful from the outside is exposed as inwardly bent toward destruction.
  2. 02vv. 3-4Saying 21This saying presents wisdom, understanding, and knowledge as the true means by which a household is established and furnished. Lasting stability grows from ordered judgment rather than force or luck.
  3. 03vv. 5-6Saying 22Wisdom is portrayed as strength greater than raw power, especially in the context of counsel and war. Success belongs not to isolated force but to guided, discerning action.
  4. 04vv. 7Saying 23This brief saying contrasts wisdom's height with the fool's incapacity in public deliberation. Where judgment is required, the fool has nothing to contribute.
  5. 05vv. 8-9Saying 24The schemer earns a reputation for wicked invention, and even the fool's ideas are treated as sin. Mockery itself becomes socially hateful.
  6. 06vv. 10-12Saying 25These verses call for courage in crisis, active rescue of the vulnerable, and honest awareness that God sees through excuses. Moral weakness and moral evasion alike stand exposed before him.
  7. 07vv. 13-14Saying 26Honey becomes an image of wisdom's sweetness and promised reward. Wisdom is not merely right but nourishing, desirable, and life-giving to the one who finds it.
  8. 08vv. 15-16Saying 27The wicked are warned not to attack the righteous, because the righteous rise again though struck, while the wicked are finally ruined by calamity. Resilience belongs to the just, not because they never fall, but because they do not stay down.
  9. 09vv. 17-18Saying 28The reader is forbidden to rejoice at an enemy's fall, because such gloating displeases the LORD. Even correct judgment may be corrupted by a malicious heart.
  10. 10vv. 19-20Saying 29The wise are told not to fret over evildoers because the wicked have no lasting future. Their apparent light is temporary and will be extinguished.
  11. 11vv. 21-22Saying 30The son is called to fear both the LORD and the king and to avoid the unstable who resist rightful order. Sudden destruction may come from the authorities they despise.
  12. 12vv. 23-34Further Sayings of the WiseThe closing collection condemns partial judgment, praises truthful rebuke and honest speech, urges prudent preparation, rejects false testimony and revenge, and ends with a vivid picture of the sluggard's ruined field. Together these sayings bind wisdom to fairness, restraint, diligence, and sober observation.
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