Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 24:23
These [things] also [belong] to the wise. [It is] not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
IV. Third Collection of Proverbs. Chap. Pro 24:23-34
A short Collection resembling in character the Second Collection, to which it forms a kind of Appendix.
23. These things also belong to ] Rather, These also are sayings of, R.V. Comp. Pro 22:17. The Heb. preposition is the same as indicates authorship in the Titles of many of the Psalms.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Belong to the wise – Either are fitting for the wise, addressed to them, or (as in the superscriptions of many of the Psalms) are written by the wise. Most recent commentators take it in the latter sense, and look on it as indicating the beginning of a fresh section, containing proverbs not ascribed to Solomons authorship. Compare the introduction to Proverbs.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Pro 24:23-26
These things also belong to the wise.
Social conduct
I. Here is partiality of judgment; that is bad. It is no good to have respect of persons in judgment. The principle of impartiality is enjoined both in the Old and the New Testament. In the Old, Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. In the New Testament we have these words, My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons, etc. (Jam 2:1-9).
II. Here is flattery of the wicked, which is execrable. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, him shall the people curse; nations shall abhor him. If the wicked man be great in wealth, exalted in social influence and political power, there is a wondrous tendency in all the grades below to flatter him as a righteous man.
III. Here is reproving of the wrong, which is blessed. But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, etc.
1. There is a delight in such work. To them that rebuke him shall be delight. What is the delight? The delight of an approving conscience.
2. There is Divine favour in such work. A good blessing shall come upon you. God will express His favour to such a man in many ways.
3. There is social approbation in such work. Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth the right answer. (Homilist.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 23. These things also belong to the wise.] gam elleh lachachamim, “These also to wise.” This appears to be a new section; and perhaps, what follows belongs to another collection. Probably fragments of sayings collected by wise men from the Proverbs of Solomon.
It is not good to have respect] Judgment and justice should never be perverted.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
These things also, these proverbs or counsels here following to the end of the chapter, no less than those hitherto mentioned,
belong to the wise; are worthy of the consideration, and fit for the use, of them who are or would be wise; for only such are capable of understanding and improving these proverbs, as was noted, Pro 1:5-7, and elsewhere. To have respect of persons in judgment; for judges to determine controversies partially, according to the quality of the persons, and not according to the merits of the cause.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23. These . . . wiseliterally,”are of the wise,” as authors (compare “Psalms ofDavid,” Hebrew). “These” refers to the versesfollowing, Pr 24:24-34.
to have respectliterally,”to discern faces,” show partiality,
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
These [things] also [belong] to the wise,…. Both what is said before concerning fearing God and the king; these belong to the wise and unwise, rich and poor, great and small; particularly judges and civil magistrates, and all subordinate governors, who have, or ought to have, a competency of wisdom; these ought to fear God and the king, as well as private subjects; and also what follows after, especially in this verse and Pr 24:24. Some render the words, “these things also [are the sayings] of wise men” u; not of Solomon, but of other wise men in his time, or who lived after him, and before the men of Hezekiah copied out the proverbs in the following chapters; see Pr 25:1; but it seems more than probable that what follows to the end of the chapter are the words of Solomon, as Pr 24:33 most clearly are, compared with Pr 6:10;
[it is] not good to have respect of persons in judgment; in trying causes in a court of judicature, no regard should be had to the persons of men by the judge on the bench, as the rich more than to the poor; or to a relation, a friend, an intimate acquaintance, more than to a stranger; but the justice of the cause ought to be attended to, and sentence given according to it, let it fall as it will: God does not accept persons, nor regard the rich more than the poor; nor should they that stand in his stead, and who in some sense represent him, Le 19:15 De 1:17; nor should Christians in their communities act such a partial part, Jas 2:1.
u “haec quoqne sapientum sunt”, Tigurine version; “etiam haec sapientibus profecta sunt”, Piscator; “etiam haecce sapientum”, Cocceius, Schultens, so Grotius.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The curse of partiality and the blessing of impartiality:
Respect of persons in judgment is by no means good:
24 He that saith to the guilty, “Thou art in the right,”
Him the people curse, nations detest.
25 But to them who rightly decide, it is well,
And upon them cometh blessing with good.
Partiality is either called , Pro 18:5, respect to the person, for the partisan looks with pleasure on the , the countenance, appearance, personality of one, by way of preference; or , as here and at Pro 28:21, for he places one person before another in his sight, or, as we say, has a regard to him; the latter expression is found in Deu 1:17; Deu 16:19. ( vid., Pro 20:11) means to regard sharply, whether from interest in the object, or because it is strange. Heidenheim regards as weaker than ; but the reverse is the case ( vid., vol. i. p. 204), as is seen from the derivation of this negative (= balj , from , to melt, to decay); thus it does not occur anywhere else than here with the pred. adj. The two supplements delight in this , Deu 22:29; Deu 23:7, 35. The thesis 23b is now confirmed in Pro 24:24 and Pro 24:25, from the consequences of this partiality and its opposite: He that saith ( , with Mehuppach Legarmeh from the last syllable, as rightly by Athias, Nissel, and Michaelis, vid., Thorath Emeth, p. 32) to the guilty: thou art right, i.e., he who sets the guilty free (for and have here the forensic sense of the post-bibl. and ), him they curse, etc.; cf. the shorter proverb, Pro 17:15, according to which a partial, unjust judge is an abomination to God. Regarding ( ) here and at Pro 11:26, Schultens, under Job 3:8, is right; the word signifies figere , and hence to distinguish and make prominent by distinguishing as well as by branding; cf. defigere , to curse, properly, to pierce through. Regarding , vid., at Pro 22:14. and (from and , which both mean to bind and combine) are plur. of categ.: not merely individuals, not merely families, curse such an unrighteous judge and abhor him, but the whole people in all conditions and ranks of society; for even though such an unjust judge bring himself and his favourites to external honour, yet among no people is conscience so blunted, that he who absolves the crime and ennobles the miscarriage of justice shall escape the vox populi . On the contrary, it goes well ( , like Pro 2:10; Pro 9:17, but here with neut. indef. subj. as , Gen 12:13, and frequently) with those who place the right, and particularly the wrong, fully to view; is he who mediates the right, Job 9:33, and particularly who proves, censures, punishes the wrong, Pro 9:7, and in the character of a judge as here, Amo 5:10; Isa 29:21. The genitive connection is not altogether of the same signification as , wine of a good sort, Son 7:10, and , a woman of a bad kind, Pro 6:24, for every blessing is of a good kind; the gen. thus, as at Psa 21:4, denotes the contents of the blessing; cf. Eph 1:3, “with all spiritual blessings,” in which the manifoldness of the blessing is presupposed.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
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.
Here are lessons for wise men, that is, judges and princes. As subjects must do their duty, and be obedient to magistrates, so magistrates must do their duty in administering justice to their subjects, both in pleas of the crown and causes between party and party. These are lessons for them. 1. They must always weigh the merits of a cause, and not be swayed by any regard, one way or other, to the parties concerned: It is not good in itself, nor can it ever do well, to have respect of persons in judgment; the consequences of it cannot but be the perverting of justice and doing wrong under colour of law and equity. A good judge will know the truth, not know faces, so as to countenance a friend and help him out in a bad cause, or so much as omit any thing that can be said or done in favour of a righteous cause, when it is the cause of an enemy. 2. They must never connive at or encourage wicked people in their wicked practices. Magistrates in their places, and ministers in theirs, are to deal faithfully and the wicked man, though he be a great man or a particular friend, to convict him of his wickedness, to show him what will be in the end thereof, to discover him to others, that they may avoid him. But if those whose office it is thus to show people their transgressions palliate them and connive at them, if they excuse the wicked man, much more if they prefer him and associate with him (which is, in effect, to say, Thou art righteous), they shall justly be looked upon as enemies to the public peace and welfare, which they ought to advance, and the people shall curse them and cry out shame on them; and even those of other nations shall abhor them, as base betrayers of their trust. 3. They must discountenance and give check to all fraud, violence, injustice, and immorality; and, though thereby they may disoblige a particular person, yet they will recommend themselves to the favour of God and man. Let magistrates and ministers, and private persons too that are capable of doing it, rebuke the wicked, that they may bring them to repentance or put them to shame, and they shall have the comfort of it in their own bosoms: To them shall be delight, when their consciences witness for them that they have been witnesses for God; and a good blessing shall come upon them, the blessing of God and good men; they shall be deemed religion’s patrons and their country’s patriots. See ch. xxviii. 23. 4. They must always give judgment according to equity (v. 26); they must give a right answer, that is, give their opinion and pass sentence according to law and them true merits of the cause; and every one shall kiss his lips that does so, that is, shall love and honour him, and be subject to his orders, for there is a kiss of allegiance as well as of affection. He that in common conversation likewise speaks pertinently and with sincerity recommends himself to his company and is beloved and respected by all.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Further Characteristics of the Wise
Verses 23-26 demonstrate that the truly wise are governed by truth, honesty, and forthrightness in their speech and decisions:
1) They do not show respect of person in their judgments, Vs 23; Pro 18:5; Pro 28:21; Lev 19:15; Deu 1:17.
2) They do not declare as righteous, wicked persons whom the people and nations abhor because of known wickedness, Vs 24; Pro 17:15; Isa 5:23; Joh 7:24.
3) They rebuke and mete out justice to the wicked to the delight of honest men, Vs 25; Pro 28:23.
4) Their honesty and forthrightness in giving right answers is appreciated by the people who receive them with the respect and affection often expressed by a kiss, Vs 26; Pro 25:11-12; 1Sa 10:1; 2Sa 19:39.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.
Pro. 24:23. These things also belong to the wise. Rather These (the proverbs which follow) are also from wise men The word also connects this introduction with that in chap. Pro. 22:17.
Pro. 24:25. To them that rebuke, etc. The word him is not in the original, and spoils the sense. If this rendering of the verb is accepted, iniquity must be understood to be the subject of rebuke. Delitzsch however reads, To them who rightly decide, and Miller renders, To them that set the thing right.
Pro. 24:26. A right answer, i.e., a faithful, straightforward answer. The word comes, says Miller, from a verb meaning to be in front. The mention of the lips, Zckler remarks, is to be explained simply by the remembrance of the question to which the upright and truthful answer corresponds.
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Pro. 24:23-26
IMPARTIALITY OF TRUTH
I. Two blessings to society. While there is nothing that more certainly undermines the moral tone of any community than that respect of persons which the Bible so emphatically and constantly condemns (Lev. 19:15; Jas. 2:1), there is no person who more contributes to the welfare of society, and contributes more to its well-being than the man who judges all men by the same standard, viz., their character. It is especially indispensable that those who are set apart to administer the laws of the land should be men above all suspicion of partiality. For, wherever there is a code of law, it is a testimony to that inborn sense of justice which is more or less active in every human being; and although it may sometimes be but an imperfect attempt to render to every man his right, if it is administered by men of integrity it is one of the greatest bulwarks of national prosperity and security. It may well be a matter of thankfulness to every Englishman that the judicial bench of this land occupies the high position that it does in this respect as in all others, and that the days when men thought it possible to use unlawful influence with an English judge have passed away. But to what do we owe this blessing, if not to the greater hold which the principles of the Bible has upon our national life? But Solomon brings before us another character which is as necessary to a nations moral health, which is, perhaps, rarer than the first, but which might and ought to belong to every man. Those who are called to sit in judgment are the few, but those who in various ways are called to bear witness concerning persons and things, are the many. And some who would deem it a crime to have respect of persons in judgment, do not realise how much the cause of truth and righteousness would be furthered if men, in their every-day intercourse, would give a right or straightforward answer (see rendering in Critical Notes) to the questions put to them. If it was the habit of merchants and statesmen, of masters and servants, in the market and in the social circle, to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, how much purer would be the moral atmosphere which we breathe, and how much more nearly would society on earth be like that of heaven.
II. The recognition which such characters receive from their fellow-men. In a world where the unrighteous far outnumber the righteous, and where most men are but half loyal to truth, it is remarkable that it should be so. But history in general and individual experience in particular bears witness that Solomon was right. Even unrighteous men cannot help admiring a just and truthful man, and their consciences and their experience combine to testify that they themselves have more to hope from those who are morally above them than from those who are on a level with themselves. It is probable that both moral sense and self-interest combine to bring people as a whole to bless him who rebukes the wicked and to kiss his lips who giveth a right answer.
OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS
Pro. 24:26. The meaning of that ceremony of kissing him that was anointed to be king, St. Gregory giveth to be this, that it was to teach him that was so kissed that God hath brought him to that dignity, to the end that he might make peace between God and his people that were under him, whereof a kiss is a sign and pledge. For by sinning we procure the enmity of God, when therefore a ruler is set up for the correction of sinners, thereby is taken away that which made us enemies to God. If, therefore, we read this verse as the English doth, we may understand it that everyone shall acknowledge him to be a peacemaker between God and them, who by right judgment punisheth the wicked.Jermin.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
TEXT Pro. 24:23-34
23.
These also are sayings of the wise.
To have respect of persons in judgment is not good.
24.
He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous,
Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him;
25.
But to them that rebuke him shall be delight,
And a good blessing shall come upon them.
26.
He kisseth the lips
Who giveth a right answer.
27.
Prepare thy work without,
And make it ready for thee in the field;
And afterwards build thy house.
28.
Be not a witness against thy neighbor 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 sluggard,
And by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;
31.
And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns,
The face thereof was covered with nettles,
And the stone wall thereof was broken down.
32.
Then I beheld, and considered well;
I saw, 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 a robber,
And thy want as an armed man.
STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 24:23-34
1.
Does the opening statement of Pro. 24:23 indicate some kind of change of authorship or material?
2.
What did the law of Moses say concerning respect of persons (Pro. 24:23)?
3.
Have people sometimes been more righteous than their leaders (Pro. 24:24)?
4.
What would be the problem of their rebuking a ruler (Pro. 24:25)?
5.
Kisses whose lips (Pro. 24:26)?
6.
Prepare what work without (Pro. 24:27)?
7.
In Pro. 24:28 dont deceive whom?
8.
Should we do to others as they have done to us (Pro. 24:29)?
9.
Does Pro. 24:30 imply that a sluggard is void of understanding?
10.
What two things reflected his laziness (Pro. 24:31)?
11.
Pro. 24:32 shows we can learn by the avenue of ……..
12.
What does a sluggard enjoy doing (Pro. 24:33)?
13.
Is it a shame to be poor under these conditions (Pro. 24:34)?
PARAPHRASE OF 24:23-34
2325.
It is wrong to sentence the poor, and let the rich go free. He who says to the wicked, You are innocent, shall be cursed by many people of many nations; but blessings shall be showered on those who rebuke sin fearlessly.
26.
It is an honor to receive a frank reply.
27.
Develop your business first before building your house.
28, 29.
Dont testify spitefully against an innocent neighbor. Why lie about him? Dont say, Now I can pay him back for all his meanness to me!
3032.
I walked by the field of a certain lazy fellow and saw that it was overgrown with thorns, and covered with weeds; and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked, I learned this lesson:
33, 34.
A little extra sleep, A little more slumber, A little folding of the hands to restmeans that poverty will break in upon you suddenly like a robber, and violently like a bandit.
COMMENTS ON 24:23-34
Pro. 24:23. The opening statement indicates that the following verses form some kind of a section or collection of sayings included by Inspiration. We do not know to whom they belong as we do later groupings in Proverbs (See Pro. 25:1) Pro. 30:1; Pro. 31:1). The Bible has much to say about conducting court: Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, not honor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor (Lev. 19:15); Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike (Deu. 1:17); Thou shalt not wrest justice: thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a bribe (Deu. 16:19). See Pro. 18:5; Pro. 28:21 also.
Pro. 24:24. Pro. 24:24-26 are also talking of court cases. Through bribes, through respect of persons, through friendships and alliances, etc., justice sometimes gets perverted, and the guilty are freed. This verse says, Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him. Isa. 5:22-23 says, Woe unto them…that justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! And Pro. 17:15 says, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.
Pro. 24:25. People can usually tell when a judge is bought off and when he deals straightforwardly with a guilty case. They want him to rebuke the wicked, for he has it coming, and only by this means can crime be held in check in society. It is evident that the people were glad when the priest Jehoiada put down the wicked usurper Athaliah: All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet (2Ch. 23:21).
Pro. 24:26. A judge giving a proper sentence to the wicked is so in stride with the thoughts and feelings of the people as one who kisses another.
Pro. 24:27. The Scriptures show that there is preparatory work to be done before the actual construction begins: Which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have wherewith to complete it? (Luk. 14:28); And the king commanded, and they hewed out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with wrought stone. And Solomons builders and Hirams builders and the Gebalites did fashion them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house (1Ki. 5:17-18).
Pro. 24:28. To do this would make one a false witness, one who lies. The 9th Commandment forbad this (Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor, Exo. 20:16) as does Eph. 4:25 (Putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor). Oh, how wicked to use ones lips purposely to deceive others, who will believe what is being said and which will result in needless grief, sorrow, and loss to the one being lied about! God did not give man the gift of speech for this purpose.
Pro. 24:29. Far too many people when wronged respond with an immediate desire to get even; they can think only of retaliation. But the Bible brings out that God, the Judge, will bring any retaliation that is to be brought; consequently, He commands us not to take vengeance ourselves: Say not thou, I will recompense evil: Wait for Jehovah, and he will save thee (Pro. 20:22); Render to no man evil for evil…Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord (Rom. 12:17-19). Instead, Jesus rule was: All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them (Mat. 7:12).
Pro. 24:30. There has always been, and there will probably always be, a certain percentage of lazy people. They are also said to be void of understanding; in other words, one with good understanding will not be a sluggard. Such a person has a field (for wheat or some other crop) or a vineyard (of grapes) not because he wants to farm, not to take care of, etc. He may have come into possession of such by inheritance rather than by purchase.
Pro. 24:31. The sluggard did not plant a crop: thorns and nettles grew up and took over, and the stone wall around the vineyard to protect the vineyard was broken down here and there and had not been kept in a state of repair. Oh, the way that some people can neglect a place and let it run down! This condition existed because of a mans laziness.
Pro. 24:32. Who could keep from noticing the sad condition of both field and wall? The writer says he looked on the situation, pondered over it, and learned from it. Observation is one of wise peoples greatest teachers!
Pro. 24:33. What did the onlooker learn? That a lazy person loves to sleep too much.
Pro. 24:34. And he learned that such over-sleeping would result in a mans poverty. Robbers (armed men) usually had nothing, for they did not work, and what they got from robbing did not last them too long. Pro. 6:10-11 contains the same material as Pro. 24:33-34. It is a shame to be poor because of ones refusal to work.
TEST QUESTIONS OVER 24:23-34
1.
What are some other passages on showing respect of persons (Pro. 24:23)?
2.
Why would anybody pronounce the wicked as righteous (Pro. 24:24)?
3.
What is the peoples attitude toward a judge who lets a wicked man go free (Pro. 24:25)?
4.
What about his giving a right verdict (Pro. 24:26)?
5.
Give a Biblical example of Pro. 24:27.
6.
Cite a Bible statement about telling a lie on another person. (Pro. 24:28).
7.
What does the Bible say about our taking vengeance on others (Pro. 24:29)?
8.
Why might a sluggard even have a field or a vineyard (Pro. 24:30-31)?
9.
What is evidence that the sluggard had not even bothered to plant a crop (Pro. 24:31)?
10.
What is evidence that we cannot keep people from noticing our failures (Pro. 24:32)?
11.
What did the sluggard do instead of work (Pro. 24:33)?
12.
What other passage contains the same material as Pro. 24:33-34?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
6.
SECOND APPENDIX TO THE PROVERBS OF SOLOMON, CONTAINING PROVERBS OF VARIOUS LENGTHS, RESEMBLING Pro. 1:79:18, AND THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES (Pro. 24:23-34).
(23) These things also belong to the wisei.e., have the wise for their authors. (Comp. Pro. 1:6; Pro. 22:17.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
23. Belong to the wise Or, are the words of the wise.
Respect of persons Literally, to recognise faces. This is a precept especially suited to magistrates. Such are not to favour a man because of friendship or influential position, but must deal out justice impartially. This is almost identical with Pro 18:5 and Pro 28:21; Lev 19:15; Deu 1:17; Joh 7:24.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 24:23-34 Sayings of the Wise: Second Collection (Four Sayings) Pro 24:23-34 is considers by many scholars to be the second collection of the “Sayings of the Wise”, with Pro 22:17 to Pro 24:22 being the first collection. It is possible that these sayings were collected by Solomon from outside his kingdom. We know that Solomon identified two sources of wisdom outside of Israel, which were the East and Egypt; for we read in 1Ki 4:30, “And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.”
We know that the first collection of sayings has similarities with ancient Egyptian wisdom. Thus, it most likely originated from Egypt. [130] We can then suggest that the second, but shorter, collection of sayings (Pro 24:23-34) either came from Egypt as miscellaneous wisdom, or it may have been that wisdom which Solomon collected from the East.
[130] Miriam Lichtheim, The Instruction of Amenemope, in Ancient Egyptian literature: Volume II: The New Kingdom (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973-[80]), in Libronix Digital Library System, v. 2.1c [CD-ROM] (Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corp., 2000-2004).
We know that Solomon gathered and compiled both collections of sayings. Thus, we read the words of Solomon in the opening statement, “These things also belong to the wise,” (Pro 24:23 a).
There are at four proverbial sayings in this shortest of collections (ASV). Some commentators count them as five or six. It is interesting to note that these sayings deal with the condition of a man’s heart, mind and body, and in that order.
Outline Here is a proposed outline:
1. First Saying (The Heart) (Hexastitch) Pro 24:23-26
2. Second Saying (The Mind How We Think) (Tristitch) Pro 24:27
3. Third Saying (The Mind How We Speak) (Tetrastitch) Pro 24:28-29
4. Fourth Saying (The Body) (Decastitch) Pro 24:30-34
Pro 24:23-26 First Saying (Regarding the Heart) (Hexastitch) Excluding the introductory statement, “These things also belong to the wise,” Pro 24:23-26 forms a single proverbial thought using six lines, which is called a hexastitch .
Pro 24:27 Pro 24:27 Pro 24:27
[131] Creflo Dollar, Changing Your World (College Park, Georgia: Creflo Dollar Ministries, 18 August 2009), on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California), television program.
Ecc 5:9, “Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field .”
Pro 24:30-34, “I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.”
Pro 24:27 also reflects the principle of sowing and reaping. We are to sow our labours in the field of harvest, so that we will reap our wages to build a home and find rest. If we do not sow in the fields of labour, we will have no provision to build our home. We are to sow in the Lord’s fields so that He can bless us with a place of rest in this life.
A home is a place of rest, and the field is the place of labour and toil. When we place this two-fold aspect of labor and rest into the Song of Solomon, we learn that the place of labour is found in the king’s vineyard, and the place of rest is the garden of prayer and communion with the Father. Pro 24:7 places our labours in the field as an act of sowing and our rest in the house as reaping what we have sown. For example, get a good education, then get a good job, then marry and buy a home. Many young married people have married to early, before they could afford to provide for a family. These marriages have been much more challenging and they have a higher rate of divorce than a well planned marriage.
Pro 24:28-29 Third Saying (Regarding the Mind How We are to Speak) (Tetrastitch) Pro 24:28-29 forms a single proverbial thought using four lines, which is called a tetrastitch .
Pro 24:28 Pro 24:28
Pro 24:29 Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
Pro 24:30-34
Pro 24:32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.
Pro 24:32
Pro 24:33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:
Pro 24:34 Pro 24:33-34
Pro 6:10-11, “Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.”
Ecc 4:5, “The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.”
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
v. 23. These things also belong to the wise,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 24:23. These things also belong to the wise The meaning may be, that the following proverbs were selected from the books of the wise men who lived after Solomon, to the time of Hezekiah. The words at the head of this verse seem to be a new title to the proverbs which follow to chap. 25: Such is the opinion of Calmet, Grotius, Grey, &c. But may they not signify only and simply, “These things also which follow belong to the wise, holy, and virtuous conduct of life?”
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Second Supplement
Pro 24:23-34
a) Various admonitions to good conduct toward ones neighbors
Pro 24:23-29
23These also are from wise men.
To be partial in judgment is not good.
24He that saith to the wicked, thou art righteous,
him the people curse, (and) nations execrate;
25but to them that rebuke (iniquity) it is well,
and upon them shall come a rich blessing.
26He kisseth the lips
who giveth a right answer.
27Set in order thy work without,
and make it ready for thyself in the field;
afterward build thine house.
28Be not witness against thy neighbor without cause;
and wilt thou deceive with thy lips?
29Say not: As he hath done to me so will I do to him:
I will requite the man according to his work.
b) Warning against indolence and its evil consequences
Pro 24:30-34
30By the field of a slothful man I passed along,
and by the vineyard of a man void of understanding.
31And, lo! it was all grown over with thorns,
briars covered the face thereof,
and its stone wall was broken down.
32Then I looked and fixed my attention;
I saw and took (to myself) instruction.
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to sleep;
34then cometh thy poverty apace,
and thy want as an armed man!
GRAMMATICAL AND CRITICAL
Pro 24:23. is equivalent to , as in 22:29; 23:7, etc.
Pro 24:27. [The Perf. with consec. is used, as this tense so construed not unfrequently is, in the sense of an Imperative: and afterward thou hast built, etc.; predictions and injunctions sometimes taking this way of expressing an assurance that what should be will be. See Btt. 977, 3; 981, 3: Green, 265, b; Ewald, Lehrb. 332, b.A.]
Pro 24:28. [A Perf. with consec. to express what ought to be,a suggestion rather than a precept,Bttchers Fiens debitum, 981, b. .] . Because the interrogative particle occurs only in this instance immediately after the copula, Ewald proposes to change the form to , and thou wilt open wide, i.e. betray (comp. 20:19), [so Fuerst]; Hitzig, however, into , and thou wilt whisper, i.e. speak with subdued voice (from a form , to be explained in accordance with the Arabic); [so Btt., making it a Hiph. from and not a Piel from ]. Both are alike arbitrary and unnecessary. [K., Bertheau, S. and M. take our authors view].
Pro 24:31. [, a Pual with Kamets Hhatuph; see Green, 93, a; one of two examples in which in the ultima gives place in forming the plural to with a doubled vowel. Green, 291, c.A.]
EXEGETICAL
1. Pro 24:23-25. Warning against a partial administration of justiceThese also are from wise men. According to the LXX, Vulg., Michaelis, Umbreit, Elster, etc., the should be understood for the wise. [So the E. V., which is followed by Holden]. In opposition to this we have not merely the usual meaning of the preposition in superscriptions, but over and above this we have the also, which: refers back to the next preceding collection of: proverbs, whose originating with wise men was: expressly emphasized, Pro 22:17.To be partial in judgment is not good: strictly: to distinguish persons in judgment is not good. This short proverb, forming only a single clause, is plainly nothing but a preliminary observation or introduction to the two following verses, which treat more fully of partiality in dispensing justice. Compare, furthermore, the quite similar, and almost literally identical sentences, 18:5 and 28:21.
Pro 24:24. He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous. Comp. Pro 17:15 : He that justifieth the wicked. To the threatening intimation of Gods displeasure there given, there corresponds here the threat of a condition in which one is hated and cursed on the part of the nations (comp. 11:26; 22:14); for to turn justice into injustice by partiality in judgment impairs the well-being of entire nations and states.
Pro 24:25. But to them that rebuke (iniquity) it is well; i.e.,. upright judges who punish evil-doers according to their desert (not merely with words but also with stringent disciplinary enactments), instead of the curse of men, obtain as a reward nothing but blessing and welfare from God.
2. Pro 24:26-29. Four additional admonitions to righteous conduct toward ones neighbors.He kisseth the lips that giveth a right answer; i.e.,. faithful and truthful answers, especially before a court of justice, affect one as favorably as the most agreeable caress, or a sweet kiss on the lips. The mention of the lips is to be explained simply by the remembrance of the question to which the upright and truthful answer corresponds. The author of the proverb passes wholly by the fact that hearing is the appropriate organ for the reception of the answer. Therefore Hitzigs conception of the first clause, which differs from the common one: He commends (ingratiates) himself with the lips who, etc., is plainly unnecessary. [Bertheau, Kamph., De W., N., etc., agree in our authors construction and conception; while the E. V., Muffet, H., S., M., etc., understand the allusion to be to tributes of love and honor paid to him who answers rightly: Every man (or, the people) shall kiss his lips. According to this view the peoples curse (in Pro 24:24) is contrasted with their respectful and loving salutation; according to the other, which is grammatically simpler and probably to be preferred, the offence given by the partial or partisan judge is contrasted with the cheering, soothing power of him who answers rightly.A.]
Pro 24:27. Set in order thy work without; i.e.,. take care, by the profitable and diligent prosecution of your labors in the field, first of all for the needful and reliable support of your existence; then you may go on to the building up of your establishment. The house in clause c, is thus doubtless equivalent to family, domestic establishment, as in Rth 4:11; comp. above, Pro 14:1. The literal rendering given by Hitzig and others to this phrase, build thy house, seems less appropriate, although Biblical parallels might be adduced for this also, e.g. the passage Luk 15:28, which in its moral bearing is certainly kindred.
Pro 24:28. Be not witness against thy neighbor without cause. Without cause, i.e.,. without an actual reason, without necessity; comp. 23:29; 26:2; Joh 15:25, etc. It is not so much a false witness that is meant, as one not called for, one who is incited to say injurious things by nothing beyond his own animosity.And wilt thou deceive with thy lips? See Critical notes for various constructions of the verb. With regard to the expression deceive with thy lips, comp. Psa 78:36; and they did flatter him with their mouth.
Pro 24:29. Say not, As he hath done to me so will I do to him. We can hardly find here (with Hitzig, who follows several of the earlier expositors) a special connection between this verse and the preceding, as though the man who had been wronged by the officious witness were here introduced as speaking, and a warning were given him against allowing free course to his revenge. Comp. rather the similar thought in Pro 20:22, which like this stands quite isolated.
3. Pro 24:30-34. The vineyard of the slothful: a narrative in form closely resembling the parable. Comp. Isa 5:1 sq., as well as the passages which correspond still more closely with the form of this narration, Job 5:3 sq.; Psa 37:35 sq.By the field of a slothful man I passed along. The figure of the field is in the sequel entirely dropped, from a preference for the closely related one of the vineyard. The man void of understanding in clause b, is naturally another sluggard, one who is indolent from lack of understanding.
Pro 24:31. And lo! it was all grown over with thorns [lit., it came up all of it thorns] (comp. the same word in Isa 34:13, which is there also translated in the Vulg. by the term urtic), brambles covered the face thereof (, lit., what one may not touch, things not to be approached [Fuerst, stinging, burning things, nettles, e.g.], is an accusative subordinate to the verb in the Pual), and its stone wall (lit., its wall of stones) was broken down. All these features are found also in the parable of the vineyard in Isaiah, which has been already cited, Isa 5:5-6; comp. likewise Psa 80:13-14. [Travellers like Hackett (Illustrations of Scripture) call attention to the minute accuracy of the description as illustrated by the fact, that in the richer soils of Palestine it is thorny shrubs, of which twenty-two kinds are enumerated, that are specially quick to spring up and overspread a neglected field.A.]
Pro 24:32. Then I looked. Hitzig proposes to read instead of (comp. 2Sa 4:10): and I stopped (from the intransitive verb , sistere, to stand still). But the ordinary reading is abundantly confirmed by the parallel in clause b. [Kamph. calls attention to the introduction of the pronoun, as an element in the graphic fullness of the poets description of his meditation.A.]I saw and took (to myself) instruction, lit., a correction or reproof. What was contained in this admonition is expressed in what follows.
With Pro 24:33-34 comp. the almost literally identical verses 10 and 11 of chap. 4, and the Exeg. notes there (p. 84), where the meaning of the divergent reading was also discussed.And thy want: lit., and thy wants, i.e.,. thy deficits, thy pecuniary embarrassments, on account of which now one thing and then another fails.
DOCTRINAL, ETHICAL, HOMILETIC AND PRACTICAL
Righteous treatment of ones neighbor, and a prudent active industry in the discharge of duties to ourselves, are the two points to which the admonitory import of this section may be reduced, and in a way quite exhaustive. For as Pro 24:23-29, all of them with the sole exception of Pro 24:28 admonish to a strictly just and honorable bearing in intercourse with others, so not merely that 28th verse, but also the parabolic narrative in Pro 24:30-34, relates to the vice of sloth and an indolent carelessness in the performance of the domestic duties of ones calling. The general substance of this short section therefore bears a resemblance, at least partial, to that of the 6th chapter (which is indeed much richer in its fullness). In attempting to obtain from it a central idea for homiletic use, we should be obliged to proceed as we did in that instance (comp., above, p. 87). [With reference to Pro 24:29 in particular (comp. what is said above on Pro 24:11-12), Dr. Chalmers says: It is pleasant to observe the outgoing of the earlier morality towards the later and more advancedof that in the Old towards that in the New Testament.A.] Therefore as a homily on the whole: Neither injustice nor faithlessness toward ones neighbor, nor want of fidelity in the fulfilment of ones own domestic duties, brings a blessing.Or, Honorable conduct in relation to others is possible only on the basis of the industrious and conscientious performance of the duties of ones own calling.
Pro 24:23-25. Starke: An unjust judge loads himself with sighs which God also hears; a righteous judge, on the contrary, will surely enjoy at the same time the blessing and the intercession of the pious.Wohlfarth: The blessing of a wise severity in the State (in the administration of the laws).
Pro 24:26-29. Geier (on Pro 24:26): If thou meanest to deal fairly with thine own soul, then rejoice heartily in good counsel given from the word of God; though it be disagreeable to the flesh, yet it is like a precious balsam (Psa 141:5).Starke (on Pro 24:27): He who with all his carefulness in attention to his occupation yet forgets the one thing needful, builds his house on the sand, because in the midst of all outward prosperity he still suffers injury in his soul.(On Pro 24:29): If thou wouldst be really like God as His child, then follow Him in compassion and leave the right of vengeance to Him alone: Lev 19:18; Rom 12:17 sq.
Pro 24:30-34. Starke: Indolence is extremely injurious to the Christian life. If one does not do good with earnestness and diligence, evil surely gains more and more the ascendency, and in all conditions, in Church and State and in domestic life, want and labor are multiplied as the result of neglect of official duty on the part of the servants and stewards instituted by God.Wohlfarth (on Pro 24:32): To become wise on the follies of others is in fact an excellent prudence.[Arnot: Even the sluggards garden brought forth fruitbut not for the sluggards benefit. The diligent man reaped and carried off the only harvest that it borea warning.J. Foster; Lecture on Practical Views of Human Life. Let it never be forgotten in any part of the process that the efficacy of the instruction must be from the Supreme Teacher; without Him, the attraction and assimilation of the evil would, after all, be mightier than its warning and repelling force].
Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange
Pro 24:23 These [things] also [belong] to the wise. [It is] not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
Ver. 23. These things also belong to the wise. ] As subjects must know their duties, so magistrates theirs; neither may they hold themselves too wise to learn. God can send even a Solomon to school to the raven, to the pismire, yea, to the lilies of the field, as being able to teach the wisest man by the weakest creature.
It is not good to have respect of persons.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
belong to = are [the words of] the wise (plural) See the Structure, p. 891, and note on Pro 22:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 24:23-25
Pro 24:23-25
“These also are sayings of the wise: To have respect of persons in judgment is not good. He that saith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him; But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, And a good blessing shall come upon them.”
“God is no respecter of persons” (Act 10:34); and any man sitting in judgment upon others identifies himself as God’s enemy when he respects the persons of offenders.
Pro 24:24-25 cite an example of some magistrate’s respect of the person of a wicked man, saying, “Thou art righteous.” The hatred of peoples and nations for such behavior is certain to follow; but all mankind honors sound and righteous judgment; and the blessing of God attends it.
Pro 24:23. The opening statement indicates that the following verses form some kind of a section or collection of sayings included by Inspiration. We do not know to whom they belong as we do later groupings in Proverbs (See Pro 25:1) Pro 30:1; Pro 31:1). The Bible has much to say about conducting court: Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, not honor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor (Lev 19:15); Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike (Deu 1:17); Thou shalt not wrest justice: thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a bribe (Deu 16:19). See Pro 18:5; Pro 28:21 also.
Pro 24:24. Pro 24:24-26 are also talking of court cases. Through bribes, through respect of persons, through friendships and alliances, etc., justice sometimes gets perverted, and the guilty are freed. This verse says, Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him. Isa 5:22-23 says, Woe unto them…that justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! And Pro 17:15 says, He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to Jehovah.
Pro 24:25. People can usually tell when a judge is bought off and when he deals straightforwardly with a guilty case. They want him to rebuke the wicked, for he has it coming, and only by this means can crime be held in check in society. It is evident that the people were glad when the priest Jehoiada put down the wicked usurper Athaliah: All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet (2Ch 23:21).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
things: Psa 107:43, Ecc 8:1-5, Hos 14:9, Jam 3:17
It: Pro 18:5, Pro 28:21, Lev 19:15, Deu 1:17, Deu 16:19, 2Ch 19:7, Psa 82:2-4, Joh 7:24, 1Ti 5:20, 1Ti 5:21, Jam 2:4-6, 1Pe 1:17
Reciprocal: Neh 5:9 – It is not Job 13:8 – General Job 32:21 – accept Psa 36:4 – setteth Pro 17:15 – that justifieth Pro 30:10 – Accuse not Rom 2:11 – General Rom 13:4 – he is Jam 2:1 – with
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 24:23-26. These things also, &c. These words seem to be a new title to the proverbs which follow to the end of the chapter, and Calmet, Grotius, Grey, and some others, are of opinion the meaning is, that these proverbs were selected from the books of the wise men who lived after Solomon, to the time of Hezekiah. But it seems more probable that this short preface is only and simply intended to signify that the proverbs or counsels here following, no less than those before mentioned, are worthy of the consideration and fit for the use of those who are or would be wise; or, that they belong to the wise and virtuous conduct of life. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment This is the first of these counsels; which expresses that it is a very evil thing for judges to determine controversies by partiality, according to the quality of the persons, and not according to the merits of the cause. He that saith unto the wicked Namely, publicly and in judgment; Thou art righteous That is, he that justifies wicked men in their unrighteous practices; nations shall abhor him Partly for the grossness and odiousness of the crime; and partly for the great and general mischief which such proceedings bring on civil societies. But to them that rebuke him That publicly and judicially rebuke and condemn the wicked; shall be delight The peace of a good conscience; and a good blessing shall come upon them Which the people shall wish, and by their prayers obtain from God for them. This is fitly opposed to the peoples curse in the last verse. Every man shall kiss his lips Shall respect and love him, of which kissing the lips was a sign. That giveth a right answer That speaks pertinently, and plainly, and truly, to the conviction and satisfaction of the hearers.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Second Division, Pro 24:23-34.
This section constitutes the second division of the Sayings of the Wise, as Pro 24:23 a indicates. It contains a short collection of sayings varying in form and character, resembling in the main those of Pro 22:17 to Pro 24:22. The greater part (Pro 24:30-34) is a vivid description of the effects of slothfulness, which may be compared with the passage on the drunkard in Pro 23:29-35. Possibly both belonged to a collection containing, after the manner of Theophrastus, similar characterizations of different vices. For Pro 24:33 f; cf. Pro 6:10 f.
Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible
IV. COLLECTION 4: SIX MORE SAYINGS OF THE WISE 24:23-34
The first sentence in Pro 24:23 indicates that what follows was not part of the collection of 30 sayings that preceded. Other wise men (lit. sages) evidently provided these proverbs.
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
This saying advocates justice and straight talk. It is particularly relevant for judges of all kinds.