Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 24:16
For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
16. falleth ] not into sin, for the Heb. word is never used of moral lapse, but into trouble or calamity. You will “lay wait against” him and “spoil” him ( Pro 24:15) to no purpose. You may cause him many “falls” by your machinations, but he will rise superior to them all. “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand” (Psa 37:24. Comp. Psa 34:19). Whereas “the wicked,” among whom thou art thus numbering thyself ( Pro 24:15), shall fall into mischief; or rather, shall not merely fall to rise again, but are overthrown by calamity (R.V.). By a single calamity, it may be (in contrast to the sevenfold recovery of the righteous) they are utterly crushed.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 16. For a just man] tsaddik, the righteous, the same person mentioned above.
Falleth seven times] Gets very often into distresses through his resting place being spoiled by the wicked man, the robber, the spoiler of the desert, lying in wait for this purpose, Pr 24:15.
And riseth up again] Though God permit the hand of violence sometimes to spoil his tent, temptations to assail his mind, and afflictions to press down his body, he constantly emerges; and every time he passes through the furnace, he comes out brighter and more refined.
But the wicked shall fall into mischief.] And there they shall lie; having no strong arm to uphold them. Yet,
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Falleth; either,
1. Into sin. Or, rather,
2. Into calamities, of which he evidently speaks, both in the foregoing verse, and in the opposite and following branch of this verse, and so this word is used in the next verse, and Psa 37:24; Isa 24:20; Jer 25:27; Amo 8:14; Mic 7:8, &c. And so this is fitly alleged as a just reason to dissuade wicked men from their unjust attempts against righteous men, because they should not succeed in them; and although they might by Gods permission bring them into some distress for a thee, yet God would deliver them out of their hands, and they should be disappointed of their hopes.
Seven times, i.e. frequently.
Into mischief; into unavoidable and irrecoverable destruction, ofttimes in this life, and infallibly in the next.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. seven timesoften, or many(Pro 6:16; Pro 6:31;Pro 9:1).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up [again],…. This is to be understood of a truly just man; not of one that is only outwardly and seemingly so, or of temporary believers and nominal professors; but of such who are thoroughly convinced of their own unrighteousness, and believe in Christ for righteousness, and have it applied and imputed to them; as well as have principles of grace and righteousness implanted in them, and live righteously in this evil world; these often fall either into troubles or into sins, and indeed into both, and the one is the cause of the other; and both senses may be retained: the former seems more agreeable to the context, and runs thus, lay not wait to a just man’s dwelling to do him any hurt; for though he should be ensnared, and stumble, and fall into distress and calamity, yet he will rise again out of it, and so all attempts upon him are vain and fruitless; many are the righteous man’s afflictions he falls into, but the Lord delivers out of all; he delivers him in six troubles, and even in seven, Ps 34:19; or in many, one after another; he rises out of them all; he comes out of great tribulations, and at last safely enters the kingdom of heaven; and therefore it is to no purpose to lie in wait for him: and this sense is strengthened by the words following, “rejoice not when thine enemy falleth”, Pr 24:17; but the latter sense of falling into sin has been anciently received, and not to be rejected; and which generally precedes and is the cause of falling into trouble. A just man, though he does not fall from his righteousness, which is an everlasting one, nor from the grace of God; yet he may fall into temptation, and by it he may fall into sin, as every just man does; “for there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not”, Ec 7:20; and that frequently, even every day; and therefore stands every day in need of fresh application of pardoning grace, for which he is directed to pray daily; and he may be left to fall foully into very gross sins, as David, Peter, and others; but not totally and finally, so as to perish; being on the heart of God, in the hands of Christ, on him the foundation, united to him, and kept by the power of God, he shall and does rise again sooner or later; not by his own power and strength, but by the strength of the Lord; he rises by renewed repentance, and under the fresh discoveries of pardoning grace and mercy to heal his backslidings;
but the wicked shall fall into mischief; or “evil” q; into the evil of sin, and there lie and wallow in it, as the swine in the mire, and never rise out of it; and into the evil of punishment, into hell itself, from whence there will be no deliverance; and oftentimes they fall into mischief in this world, into trouble and distress, into poverty and want, in which they live and die, and never recover out of it; to which agrees what follows.
q “in malum”, Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Mercerus, Gejerus, Michaelis, Schultens.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(16) For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again.That is, falls into trouble (not sin, as is often supposed). Therefore thy malice will be of no avail, for Gods protection is about him. (Comp. Job. 5:19; Psa. 34:19; Psa. 37:24.)
Seven timesi.e., frequently. (Comp. Mat. 18:21.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
v. 16. for a just man falleth seven times,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 24:16. For a just man falleth seven times i.e. Into trouble or affliction, not into wilful sin. The Hebrew word napal, rendered falleth, is never applied to sin; but, when set in opposition to the word kum, riseth up, implies affliction or calamity; as in Mic 7:8. Amo 8:4. Jer 25:27 and Psa 34:19-20. These words are commonly not only in sermons, but in books, applied to the falling into sin; and that men may the more securely indulge themselves in their sins, and yet think themselves good men, they have added something to them; for they are commonly, cited thus, A just man falleth seven times a day; which last words are not in any translation of the Bible, much less in the original; but only in some corrupt editions of the Vulgate. The plain meaning of the text is what we have given; and therefore we must take heed of reading the Holy Scriptures so carelessly, as to turn our medicine into poison; which is the fault of those, who, from such mistakes, give way to their evil affections, and let them carry them into sin.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 24:16 For a just [man] falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
Ver. 16. For a just man falleth seven times, ] i.e., Often. Seven times a day, as the Vulgate and many of the Fathers read it, who also understand this text as falling into sin, and rising again by repentance. But the opposition carries it to the other sense, of falling into trouble. And the next verse speaks as much, “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth.” God’s saints are bound to “rejoice when they fall into divers temptations.” Jam 1:2 What though they fall into them? not go in step by step, but be precipitated, plunged over head and ears. Say they fall not into one but many crosses, – as they seldom come single, but like Job’s messengers, one at the heels of another, – yet be exceeding glad, saith the apostle; as a merchant is to see his ships come laden in. For, “though ye fall, ye shall arise; and though ye sit in darkness, the Lord shall give you light.” Mic 7:8
But the wicked shall fall into mischief,
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
just = righteous.
the wicked = lawless ones.
mischief = calamity. Hebrew. ra’a’. Not the same word as in Pro 24:2 and Pro 24:8.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
a just: Job 5:19, Psa 34:19, Psa 37:24, Mic 7:8-10, 2Co 1:8-10, 2Co 4:8-12, 2Co 11:23-27
but: Pro 13:17, Pro 28:14-18, 1Sa 26:10, 1Sa 31:4, Est 7:10, Psa 7:16, Psa 52:5, Amo 5:2, Amo 8:14, Act 12:23, 1Th 5:3, Rev 18:20, Rev 18:21
Reciprocal: Gen 19:35 – General Gen 20:2 – said Lev 26:18 – seven times 2Ki 7:9 – some mischief will come upon us Jer 8:4 – Shall they Hos 5:5 – fall in Joh 10:28 – they
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
24:16 For a just [man] {e} falleth seven times, and riseth again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
(e) He is subject to many perils, but God delivers him.