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Christianity

Proverbs 24Rising Again After a Fall

Summary

Proverbs 24 completes the words of the wise. It warns against envying evildoers and praises wisdom as the builder of a house. It asks readers to rescue those being led to death, insisting that God knows when people pretend ignorance. A just person falls seven times and rises again, and readers should not gloat when an enemy stumbles. A short section on judging without partiality follows, and the chapter ends with a field overgrown with thorns, a lesson on how a little sleep leads to poverty.

Key verse

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”

Proverbs 24:16

Themes

  • Resilience
  • No Gloating
  • Rescuing Others
  • Diligence

Text

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.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

  • Judaism

    Pirkei Avot 4: When Your Enemy Falls

    Mishnah Avot 4:19 records that Shmuel the Younger used to quote Proverbs 24:17 to 18, rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, as his teaching.

  • Christianity

    Psalm 37: Fret Not Because of Evildoers

    Psalm 37 begins, Fret not thyself because of evildoers, nearly the same words as Proverbs 24:19, and urges patient trust in God while the wicked fade.

Questions about Proverbs 24

What does a just man falleth seven times mean?

Proverbs 24:16 says the righteous may fall many times but rises again, while the wicked are overthrown by calamity. Seven suggests repeated setbacks, and the point is resilience.

What does Proverbs say about rescuing the oppressed?

Proverbs 24:11 to 12 commands delivering those drawn toward death and warns that claiming ignorance does not excuse inaction, because God weighs the heart.