Proverbs 24: Wisdom Builds and Sustains
Wisdom builds a house, strengthens the weary, rescues the perishing, and refuses to gloat over a fallen enemy.
Proverbs 24 (WEB)
1 Don’t be envious of evil men; neither desire to be with them:
2 for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about mischief.
3 Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure.
5 A wise man has great power; and a knowledgeable man increases strength;
6 for by wise guidance you wage your war; and victory is in many advisors.
7 Wisdom is too high for a fool: he doesn’t open his mouth in the gate.
8 One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.
9 The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.
10 If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small.
11 Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
12 If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this”; doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work?
13 My son, eat honey, for it is good; the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste:
14 so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul; if you have found it, then there will be a reward, your hope will not be cut off.
15 Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place:
16 for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
17 Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;
18 lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers; neither be envious of the wicked:
20 for there will be no reward to the evil man; and the lamp of the wicked shall be snuffed out.
21 My son, fear Yahweh and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious:
22 for their calamity will rise suddenly; the destruction from them both—who knows?
23 These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous”; peoples shall curse him, and nations shall abhor him—
25 but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them.
26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.
27 Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house.
28 Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips.
29 Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”
30 I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31 Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
32 Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction:
33 a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep;
34 so your poverty will come as a robber, and your want as an armed man.
Proverbs 24 (KJV)
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 art 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.
Proverbs 24 (ASV)
1 Be not thou envious against evil men; Neither desire to be with them:
2 For their heart studieth oppression, And their lips talk of mischief.
3 Through wisdom is a house builded; And by understanding it is established;
4 And by knowledge are the chambers filled With all precious and pleasant riches.
5 A wise man is strong; Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth might.
6 For by wise guidance thou shalt make thy war; And in the 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, Men shall call him a mischief-maker.
9 The thought of foolishness is sin; And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, Thy strength is small.
11 Deliver them that are carried away unto death, And those that are ready to be slain see that thou hold back.
12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew not this; Doth not he that weigheth the hearts consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his work?
13 My son, eat thou honey, for it is good; And the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to thy taste:
14 So shalt thou know wisdom to be unto thy soul; If thou hast found it, then shall there be a reward, And thy hope shall not be cut off.
15 Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous; Destroy not his resting-place:
16 For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown;
18 Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, And he turn away his wrath from him.
19 Fret not thyself because of evil-doers; Neither be thou envious at the wicked:
20 For there shall be no reward to the evil man; The lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
21 My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king; And company not with them that are given to change:
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And the destruction from them both, who knoweth it?
23 These also aresayingsof the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;
25 But to them that rebukehim shall be delight, And a good blessing shall come upon them.
26 He kisseth the lips Who giveth a right answer.
27 Prepare thy work without, And make it ready for thee in the field; And afterwards build thy house.
28 Be not a witness against thy neighbor 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 sluggard, And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31 And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, The face thereof was covered with nettles, And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32 Then I beheld, and considered well; I saw, and received instruction:
33 Yeta little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep;
34 So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.
Summary
The wise are told not to envy evil men whose hearts plot violence. Through wisdom a house is built and filled, and a wise man's strength grows, for victory comes through many advisors. Wisdom is too high for the fool, and faltering in trouble proves small strength. A solemn call urges us to rescue those staggering toward death, since the One who weighs hearts sees our excuses. Wisdom is sweet like honey, and the righteous, though they fall seven times, rise again. We are not to rejoice when an enemy falls or fret over evildoers, whose lamp will be snuffed out. From verse 23 come more sayings of the wise against partiality and false witness, ending with the sluggard's overgrown field, a parable of poverty creeping in like a robber.
Main Characters
- The wise — Those who build, gain strength, and rise again after falling, refusing to envy the wicked.
- The righteous — The ones who fall seven times yet rise, whom the wicked are warned not to ambush.
- The sluggard — The man void of understanding whose neglected vineyard becomes a parable of approaching poverty.
- Yahweh — The One who weighs hearts, keeps the soul, and renders to each according to his work.
Key Verse
Proverbs 24:16 (WEB)
for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.
Lessons Learned
- Wisdom and understanding are the foundation on which lasting lives and homes are built.
- The righteous are marked not by never falling but by rising again with God's help.
- We are responsible to act for those in danger and cannot hide behind ignorance.
- Neglect and laziness let ruin creep in slowly but surely.
- Wisdom is the true builder of a stable life. Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established (Proverbs 24:3, WEB). Lasting homes and lives rest on godly understanding, not mere effort or luck.
- The righteous are defined by rising, not by never falling. A righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again (Proverbs 24:16, WEB). Perseverance, not perfection, marks the godly life.
- We cannot plead ignorance before the One who weighs hearts. Doesn't he who weighs the hearts consider it? (Proverbs 24:12, WEB). God sees our excuses and calls us to act for those in danger.
- Do not gloat over a fallen enemy. Don't rejoice when your enemy falls (Proverbs 24:17, WEB). A heart that delights in another's downfall displeases the Lord.
- Envy of evildoers is foolish, for their lamp goes out. There will be no reward to the evil man; and the lamp of the wicked shall be snuffed out (Proverbs 24:20, WEB). The success of the wicked is temporary and not worth coveting.
- Small neglect ripens into ruin. A little sleep, a little slumber... so your poverty will come as a robber (Proverbs 24:33-34, WEB). Repeated small choices quietly determine where we end up.
- How does wisdom build and establish a house according to verses 3 and 4?
- What comfort is there in knowing the righteous fall seven times yet rise again?
- Why does the chapter say we cannot excuse ourselves by claiming we did not know?
- When have you been tempted to envy the success of those doing wrong?
- What does the sluggard's overgrown field teach about small acts of neglect?
- Wisdom, understanding, and knowledge build, establish, and fill a house with treasure, picturing how godly insight creates a flourishing life and home. Stability comes from wisdom, not chance.
- It assures us that stumbling is not the end for the righteous, who keep getting up by God's grace, while the wicked are overthrown for good. The mark of godliness is perseverance through failure.
- Because the God who weighs hearts knows what we truly understood and could have done, so feigned ignorance is no defense. We are accountable to rescue those headed toward harm.
- This is a personal question; invite candor. Help the group see that the wicked's lamp will be snuffed out, freeing them from envy and quieting their fretting.
- His vineyard grew over with thorns through repeated small indulgences, showing how poverty and ruin arrive gradually through neglect. It warns that little compromises add up to great loss.