Proverbs 3:24

24 If thou shalt sleep, thou shalt not dread; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be soft [and sweet shall be thy sleep]. (When thou shalt sleep, thou shalt not fear; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.)

Proverbs 3:24 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 3:24

When thou liest down thou shalt not be afraid
That is, when thou liest down on thy bed at night in order to take sleep, having committed thyself into the hands of a faithful Creator and covenant God and Father, and of Christ the Redeemer and Wisdom of God; thou shalt not be afraid of thieves breaking in to hurt thy person or rob thee of thy property, or of fire to consume thy dwelling and substance, and of nocturnal apparitions and diabolical spectres deceiving thy sight and disturbing thy mind: or when thou art "asleep" ^F5, for so the word also signifies; thou shall not be surprised out of it with any of the above things, or terrified in it with uneasy imaginations, anxious cares, and distressing dreams; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet;
free of all uneasy thoughts and cares, sound and refreshing, pleasant and comfortable, like that of the labouring man, ( Ecclesiastes 5:12 ) ; see ( Psalms 4:8 ) . This epithet of "sweet" is often given to "sleep" in poetic writings {f}.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 (bkvt) "dormieris", V. L. "eum dormies", Vatablus.
F6 (glukuv upnov) , Homer. Odyss. 7. v. 289. & 19. v. 511. Theocrit. Idyll. 11. v. 22, 23.

Proverbs 3:24 In-Context

22 and life shall be to thy soul, and grace to thy cheeks. (and thou shalt have life, and gain favour.)

23 Then thou shalt go trustily in thy way (Then thou shalt go with trust on thy way); and thy foot shall not stumble.

24 If thou shalt sleep, thou shalt not dread; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be soft [and sweet shall be thy sleep]. (When thou shalt sleep, thou shalt not fear; thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet.)

25 Dread thou not of sudden fear, and the powers of wicked men falling in on thee. (Fear thou not sudden disaster, and the power, or the might, of the wicked falling in upon thee.)

26 For the Lord shall be at thy side; and he shall keep thy foot (safe), that thou be not taken.