Proverbs 19:2

2 To act without knowing how you function is not good; and if you rush ahead, you will miss your goal.

Proverbs 19:2 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 19:2

Also, [that] the soul [be] without knowledge, [it is] not good,
&c.] Without knowledge of things natural and civil, especially without the knowledge of God and Christ, and divine and spiritual things; to be without this is not good, yea, very bad; for men without such knowledge and understanding are, like the beasts that perish, and for lack of it do. Jarchi interprets it, without the law. Or, "to be without the knowledge of the soul is not good" F5; so the Targum, Vulgate Latin, and Syriac versions,

``he that knoweth not his soul, it is not good for him;''
that does not know he has a soul, or however takes no more care of it than if he had none; who knows not the worth and value of it, its state and condition, and the danger it is in, and the only way of attaining the salvation of it; and he that hasteth with [his] feet sinneth;
who engages in anything ignorantly and rashly, he misses the mark, and fails in the performance of it, for want of due consideration and care. The Targum is,
``he that is swift with his feet to evil is a sinner;''
whose feet run to evil, to commit robbery, as Aben Ezra; or to shed blood; see ( Proverbs 1:16 ) .
FOOTNOTES:

F5 So Vatablus; or "without care of it", Schultcns.

Proverbs 19:2 In-Context

1 Better to be poor and live one's life uprightly than engage in crooked speech, for such a one is a fool.
2 To act without knowing how you function is not good; and if you rush ahead, you will miss your goal.
3 A person's own folly is what ruins his way, but he rages in his heart against ADONAI.
4 Wealth brings in many friends, but the poor man loses the one friend he has.
5 A false witness will not go unpunished; whoever breathes out lies will not escape.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.