Proverbs 24:1-14

1 Be not ¹envious of evil men, nor desire to be ²with them,

2 for their hearts ³devise violence, and their lips ⁴talk of trouble.

3 By ⁵wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;

4 by knowledge the rooms are filled with all ⁶precious and pleasant riches.

5 ⁷A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might,

6 for by ⁸wise guidance you can wage your war, and in ⁹abundance of counselors there is victory.

7 Wisdom is ¹⁰too high for a fool; in ¹¹the gate he does not open his mouth.

8 Whoever ¹²plans to do evil will be called a schemer.

9 ¹³The devising^[a] of folly is sin, and ¹⁴the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

10 If you ¹⁵faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.

11 ¹⁶Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.

12 If you say, "Behold, we did not know this," ¹⁷does not he who ¹⁸weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who ¹⁹keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man ²⁰according to his work?

13 My son, ²¹eat honey, for it is good, and ²²the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.

14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be ²³a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 24:1-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 12

This chapter relates Rehoboam's going to Shechem to be made king, and Jeroboam's return from Egypt, 1Ki 12:1,2, the people's request to Rehoboam to be eased of their taxes, as the condition of making him king, 1Ki 12:3,4, his answer to them, after three days, having had the advice both of the old and young men, which latter he followed, and gave in a rough answer, 1Ki 12:5-15, upon which ten tribes revolted from him, and two abode by him, 1Ki 12:16-20, wherefore he meditated a war against the ten tribes, but was forbid by the Lord to engage in it, 1Ki 12:21-24 and Jeroboam, in order to establish his kingdom, and preserve the people from a revolt to the house of David, because of the temple worship at Jerusalem, devised a scheme of idolatrous worship in his own territories, 1Ki 12:25-33.

Cross References

• 1. ver. 19; See Psalms 37:1
• 2. See Proverbs 1:15
• 3. [Isaiah 59:13]
• 4. Psalms 10:7
• 5. [Proverbs 14:1]
• 6. [Proverbs 23:23; Luke 16:11]
• 7. [Proverbs 21:22]
• 8. Proverbs 20:18
• 9. See Proverbs 11:14
• 10. [Proverbs 14:6]
• 11. See Job 5:4
• 12. Romans 1:30
• 13. [Proverbs 21:27]
• 14. See Psalms 1:1
• 15. [Hebrews 12:3]
• 16. Psalms 82:4; [Isaiah 58:6, 7]
• 17. [Ecclesiastes 5:8]
• 18. Proverbs 16:2; See 1 Samuel 16:7
• 19. [Psalms 91:11]
• 20. See Job 34:11
• 21. [Psalms 19:10; Psalms 119:103; Song of Songs 5:1; Isaiah 7:15]
• 22. Song of Songs 4:11
• 23. See Proverbs 23:18

Footnotes

• [a]. Or scheming