Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth
These words are spoken not to the wicked man, ( Proverbs
24:15 ) ; but to the just man, or Solomon's son, or the
children of Wisdom; for by the "enemy" is meant such who are at
enmity with the people of God, as the seed of the serpent, and
those after the flesh, are: and when these "fall", saints should
not "rejoice"; as when they fall into sin; for so to do would be
to act as wicked "charity [which] rejoiceth not in iniquity", (
1
Corinthians 13:6 ) : or rather when they fill into calamity
and distress; for this is also the part which wicked men act
towards the people of God, and should not be imitated in; see (
Obadiah
1:12 ) ( Micah 7:8 ) ( Revelation
11:10 ) . Joy may be expressed at the fall of the public
enemies of God and his people, as was by the Israelites at the
destruction of Pharaoh and his host, ( Exodus 15:1 ) ; and as
will be by the church at the destruction of antichrist, and which
they are called upon to do, ( Revelation
18:20 ) ( Revelation
19:1 Revelation
19:2 ) ; partly on account of their own deliverance and
safety, and chiefly because of the glory of God, and of his
justice displayed therein; see ( Psalms 58:10
) ; but as private revenge is not to be sought, nor acted, so joy
at the calamity and ruin of a private enemy, or a man's own
enemy, should not be expressed; but rather he is to be pitied and
helped; see ( Proverbs
25:21 Proverbs
25:22 ) ; for to love an enemy, and show regard to him, is
the doctrine both of the Old and of the New Testament; and
let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth;
even secret joy should not be indulged, gladness in the heart,
though it does not appear in the countenance, and is not
expressed in words; no, not at the least appearance of mischief,
when he only stumbles and is ready to fall; and much less should
there be exultation and rejoicings made in an open manner at the
utter ruin of him.