1 Be not envious of evil men, And desire not to be with them.
By David. Do not fret because of evil doers, Be not envious against doers of iniquity,
Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
Be silent for Jehovah, and stay thyself for Him, Do not fret because of him Who is making prosperous his way, Because of a man doing wicked devices.
The peace of the wicked I see, That there are no bands at their death,
And Lot lifteth up his eyes, and seeth the whole circuit of the Jordan that it `is' all a watered country (before Jehovah's destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, as Jehovah's garden, as the land of Egypt,) in thy coming toward Zoar, and Lot chooseth for himself the whole circuit of the Jordan; and Lot journeyeth from the east, and they are parted -- a man from his companion; Abram hath dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot hath dwelt in the cities of the circuit, and tenteth unto Sodom; and the men of Sodom `are' evil, and sinners before Jehovah exceedingly.
And two of the messengers come towards Sodom at even, and Lot is sitting at the gate of Sodom, and Lot seeth, and riseth to meet them, and boweth himself -- face to the earth, and he saith, `Lo, I pray you, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, unto the house of your servant, and lodge, and wash your feet -- then ye have risen early and gone on your way;' and they say, `Nay, but in the broad place we do lodge.' And he presseth on them greatly, and they turn aside unto him, and come in unto his house; and he maketh for them a banquet, and hath baked unleavened things; and they do eat. Before they lie down, the men of the city -- men of Sodom -- have come round about against the house, from young even unto aged, all the people from the extremity; and they call unto Lot and say to him, `Where `are' the men who have come in unto thee to-night? bring them out unto us, and we know them.' And Lot goeth out unto them, to the opening, and the door hath shut behind him, and saith, `Do not, I pray you, my brethren, do evil; lo, I pray you, I have two daughters, who have not known any one; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do to them as `is' good in your eyes; only to these men do not anything, for therefore have they come in within the shadow of my roof.' And they say, `Come nigh hither;' they say also, `This one hath come in to sojourn, and he certainly judgeth! now, we do evil to thee more than `to' them;' and they press against the man, against Lot greatly, and come nigh to break the door. And the men put forth their hand, and bring in Lot unto them, into the house, and have shut the door; and the men who `are' at the opening of the house they have smitten with blindness, from small even unto great, and they weary themselves to find the opening.
If they say, `Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause, We swallow them as Sheol -- alive, And whole -- as those going down `to' the pit, Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses `with' spoil, Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is -- to all of us.' My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
Whoso is walking with wise men is wise, And a companion of fools suffereth evil.
And manifest also are the works of the flesh, which are: Adultery, whoredom, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strifes, emulations, wraths, rivalries, dissensions, sects, envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revellings, and such like, of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that those doing such things the reign of God shall not inherit.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Proverbs 24
Commentary on Proverbs 24 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 24
Pr 24:1-34.
1, 2. (Compare Pr 23:3, 17; Ps 37:1).
2. studieth—meditateth.
talk … mischief—Their expressed purposes are to do evil.
3, 4. (Compare Pr 14:1; Isa 54:14).
house—including the family.
4. by knowledge … riches—(Pr 8:18; 21:20).
5, 6. The general statement (Ec 9:16, 18) is specially illustrated (compare Pr 21:22; Ps 144:1).
7. (Compare Pr 14:16).
in the gate—(Compare Pr 22:22).
8. So called even if he fails to do evil.
9. Same thought varied.
10. Literally, "If thou fail in the day of straits (adversity), strait (or, small) is thy strength," which is then truly tested.
11, 12. Neglect of known duty is sin (Jas 4:17).
ready—literally, "bowing down"
to be slain—that is, unjustly. God's retributive justice cannot be avoided by professed ignorance.
13, 14. As delicious food whets the appetite, so should the rewards of wisdom excite us to seek it.
14. reward—literally, "after part," the proper result (compare Pr 23:18; Ps 37:37, 38).
15, 16. The plots of the wicked against the good, though partially, shall not be fully successful (Ps 37:24); while the wicked, falling under penal evil, find no help.
16. seven times—often, or many (Pr 6:16, 31; 9:1).
17, 18. Yet let none rejoice over the fate of evildoers, lest God punish their wrong spirit by relieving the sufferer (compare Pr 17:5; Job 31:29).
19, 20. (Ps 37:1, 38; 18:28).
20. candle—or, "prosperity"; it shall come to an end (Pr 13:9; 20:20).
21, 22. A warning against impiety and resistance to lawful rule (Ro 13:1-7; 1Pe 2:17).
meddle … change—(Compare Margin), literally, "mingle not yourself," avoid the society of restless persons.
22. their calamity, &c.—either what God and the king inflict, or what changers and their company suffer; better the first.
23. These … wise—literally, "are of the wise," as authors (compare "Psalms of David," Hebrew). "These" refers to the verses following, Pr 24:24-34.
to have respect—literally, "to discern faces," show partiality,
24, 25. of which an example is justifying the wicked, to which is opposed, rebuking him, which has a blessing.
26. kiss his lips—love and obey, do homage (Ps 2:12; So 8:1).
right answer—literally, "plain words" (compare Pr 8:9), opposed to deceptive, or obscure.
27. Prepare … in the field—Secure, by diligence, a proper support, and then build; provide necessaries, then comforts, to which a house rather pertained, in a mild climate, permitting the use of tents.
28. Do not speak even truth needlessly against any, and never falsehood.
29. Especially avoid retaliation (Mt 5:43-45; Ro 12:17).
30, 31. A striking picture of the effects of sloth.
32-34. From the folly of the sluggard learn wisdom (Pr 6:10, 11).