Pro 24:17-18<\/span><\/p>\n Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Revenge<\/strong><\/p>\n Johnson makes a distinction between vengeance and revenge. Injuries, he says, are revenged; crimes are avenged. The former is an act of passion, the latter of justice.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>Mans revenge is displeasing to God. It is opposed to the benevolence of His nature; it is contrary to the teachings of His Word.<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Mans revenge may cause God to interpose, and relieve its victim. He turn away His wrath from him. Coverdale renders the words thus, Lest the Lord be angry, and turn His wrath from him to thee. Thus it was with the enemies of Samson (Jdg 16:25-30<\/span>). (Homilist<\/em>.)<\/p>\n Verse 17<\/span>. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth<\/B><\/I>, (into this mischief,) <\/B>and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth<\/B><\/I>] When he meets with any thing that injures him; for God will not have thee to avenge thyself, or feel any disposition<\/I> contrary to love; for if thou do, the Lord will be angry<\/I>, and may turn away his<\/I> wrath from him<\/I>, and pour it out on thee<\/I>.<\/P> <\/P> This I believe to be the true sense of these verses: but we must return to the sixteenth<\/I>, as that has been most sinfully misrepresented.<\/P> <\/P> For a just<\/I> man falleth seven times<\/I>. – That is, say many, “the most righteous man in the world sins seven times a day on an average.” Solomon does not say so: –<\/P> 1. There is not a word about sin<\/I> in the text.<\/P> 2. The word day<\/I> is not in the Hebrew text, nor in any of the versions<\/I>.<\/P> 3. The word yippol<\/I>, from naphal<\/I>, to fall<\/I>, is never applied to sin<\/I>.<\/P> 4. When set in opposition to the words riseth up<\/I>, it merely applies to affliction or calamity. See Mic 7:8<\/span>; Am 8:4<\/span>; Jer 25:27<\/span>; and Ps 34:19<\/span>; Ps 34:20<\/span>. “The righteous falls into trouble.” See above.<\/P> <\/P> Mr. Holden<\/I> has a very judicious note on this passage: “Injure not a righteous man; for, though he frequently falls into distress, yet, by the superintending care of Providence, ‘he riseth up again,’ is delivered from his distress, while the wicked are overwhelmed with their misfortunes. That this is the meaning is plain from the preceding and following verses: yet some expound it by the just man often relapsing into sin, and recovering from it; nay, it has even been adduced to prove the doctrine of the final perseverance of the elect. But is never used for falling into sin, but into distress and affliction – as Pr 11:5<\/span>; Pr 11:14<\/span>; Pr 13:17<\/span>; Pr 17:20<\/span>; Pr 26:27<\/span>; Pr 28:10<\/span>; Pr 28:14<\/span>; Pr 28:18<\/span>.”<\/P> <\/p>\n Falleth, <\/B>to wit, into mischief, as in the former verse. Please not thyself in his destruction; which plainly shows that the love of our enemies is a precept of the old law as well as of the gospel. See Exo 23:4<\/span>,5<\/span>. <\/P> <\/p>\n 17, 18.<\/B> Yet let none rejoiceover the fate of evildoers, lest God punish their wrong spirit byrelieving the sufferer (compare Pro 17:5<\/span>;Job 31:29<\/span>).<\/P><\/p>\n Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth<\/strong>,…. These words are spoken not to the wicked man, Pr 24:15<\/span>; 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”,<\/p>\n 1Co 13:6<\/span>: 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 Ob 1:12<\/span>. 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, Ex 15:1<\/span>; and as will be by the church at the destruction of antichrist, and which they are called upon to do, Re 18:20<\/span>; partly on account of their own deliverance and safety, and chiefly because of the glory of God, and of his justice displayed therein; see<\/p>\n Ps 58:10<\/span>; 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<\/p>\n Pr 25:21<\/span>; for to love an enemy, and show regard to him, is the doctrine both of the Old and of the New Testament;<\/p>\n and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth<\/strong>; 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.<\/p>\n Warning against a vindictive disposition, and joy over its satisfaction.<\/p>\n 17 At the fall of thine enemy rejoice not,<\/p>\n And at his overthrow let not thine heart be glad;<\/p>\n 18 That Jahve see it not, and it be displeasing to Him,<\/p>\n And He turns away His anger from Him.<\/p>\n The Chethb , which in itself, as the plur. of category, , might be tolerable, has 17b against it: with right, all interpreters adhere to the Ker (with i<\/em> from e in doubled close syllable, as in the like Ker , 1Sa 24:5<\/span>). , for , is the syncope usual in the inf<\/em>. Niph<\/em>. and Hiph<\/em>., which in Niph<\/em>. occurs only once with the initial guttural (as ) or half guttural ( ). is not adj. here as at 1Sa 25:3<\/span>, but perf<\/em>. with the force of a fut<\/em>. (Symmachus: ). The proverb extends the duty of love even to an enemy; for it requires that we do good to him and not evil, and warns against rejoicing when evil befalls him. Hitzig, indeed, supposes that the noble morality which is expressed in Pro 24:17<\/span> is limited to a moderate extent by the motive assigned in 18b. Certainly the poet means to say that God could easily give a gracious turn for the better, as to the punishment of the wicked, to the decree of his anger against his enemy; but his meaning is not this, that one, from joy at the misfortune of others, ought to desist from interrupting the process of the destruction of his enemy, and let it go on to its end; but much rather, that one ought to abstain from this joy, so as not to experience the manifestation of God’s displeasure thereat, but His granting grace to him against whom we rejoice to see God’s anger go forth.<\/p>\n (Note: This proverb, according to Aboth <\/em> iv. 24, was the motto of that Samuel with the surname , who formulated (the interpolation in the Schemone-Esre prayer directed against the schismatics): he thus distinguished between private enemies and the enemies of the truth.)<\/p>\n 17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: 18 Lest the LORD<\/B> see it,<\/I> and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.<\/P> Here, 1. The pleasure we are apt to take in the troubles of an enemy is forbidden us. If any have done us an ill turn, or if we bear them ill-will only because they stand in our light or in our way, when any damage comes to them (suppose they fall), or any danger (suppose they stumble), our corrupt hearts are too apt to conceive a secret delight and satisfaction in it–Aha! so would we have it; they are entangled; the wilderness has shut them in<\/I>–or, as Tyrus said concerning Jerusalem (Ezek. xxvi. 2<\/span>) I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste.<\/I> “Men hope in the ruin of their enemies or rivals to wreak their revenge or to find their account; but be not thou so inhuman; rejoice not when<\/I> the worst enemy<\/I> thou hast falls.<\/I>” There may be a holy joy in the destruction of God’s enemies, as it tends to the glory of God and the welfare of the church (Ps. lviii. 10<\/span>); but in the ruin of our enemies, as such, we must by no means rejoice; on the contrary, we must weep even with them when they weep (as David, Psa 35:13<\/span>; Psa 35:14<\/span>), and that in sincerity, not so much as letting our hearts be secretly glad at their calamities. 2. The provocation which that pleasure gives to God is assigned as the reason of that prohibition: The Lord<\/I> will see it,<\/I> though it be hidden in the heart only, and it<\/I> will displease him,<\/I> as it will displease a prudent father to see one child triumph in the correction of another, which he ought to tremble at, and take warning by, not knowing how soon it may be his own case, he having so often deserved it. Solomon adds an argument ad hominem–addressed to the individual:<\/I> “Thou canst not do a greater kindness to thy enemy,<\/I> when he has fallen, than to rejoice in it; for them, to cross thee and vex thee, God will turn his wrath from him;<\/I> for, as the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God,<\/I> so the righteousness of God was never intended to gratify the wrath of man, and humour his foolish passions; rather than seem to do that he will adjourn the execution of his wrath: nay, it is implied that when he turns his wrath from him<\/I> he will turn it against thee and the cup of trembling shall be put into thy hand.”<\/P><\/p>\n Rejoice Not At Enemy’s<\/strong> Misfortune<\/strong><\/p>\n Verses 17-18 warn against rejoicing at the misfortune of an enemy. Such is not pleasing to the LORD whose watchful eye beholds it, and views it as the greater sin, Pro 17:5<\/span>; Job 31:28-29<\/span>; 2Sa 1:5-12<\/span>; Psa 35:11-14<\/span>; Oba 1:12<\/span>; Eze 33:11<\/span>; Mat 5:44<\/span>.<\/p>\n CRITICAL NOTES.<\/p>\n Pro. 24:20<\/span><\/strong>. Reward<\/strong>. The same word used in Pro. 24:14<\/span>, and in chap. Pro. 23:18<\/span>. Its literal meaning is a hereafter. Zckler translates it end in the first two instances, but in this case he reads future<\/em>. Delitzsch and Miller render it hereafter<\/em> or future<\/em> in every verse. <\/p>\n MAIN HOMILETICS OF <\/em>Pro. 24:17-18<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n THE FALL OF AN ENEMY<\/p>\n Joy at the overthrow of an enemy is a feeling which is natural to an unspiritual man, but it is one which is here declared to be displeasing to God. Three reasons suggest themselves why this should be so.<\/p>\n I. Such an emotion is inconsistent with a mans own well-being and happiness<\/strong>. The nature that can be indifferent to the calamities of another, even although that other has been an enemy in the past, is a nature destitute of all generosity and nobility. But the heart that can be glad<\/em> at such an event is altogether possessed with the spirit of the devilthe flames of exultation that burn upon such an altar have been set on fire of hell. And as God loves the creature whom He at first created in His own image, it displeases Him to see him give place to a feeling so unworthy of his origin, and at the same time so productive of misery to himself. For the so-called joy that arises from such a cause is not only very short-lived, but is like a fire that blazes and burns brightly for a time, and then leaves nothing but a heap of ashes behind. The exultation over the fall of an enemy soon dies out, and leaves the heart scorched and dried by the heat of the unworthy passion.<\/p>\n II. It is inconsistent with the spirit of brotherhood that God desires to exist among men<\/strong>. If there has been a break in the harmony of a family, and one member has been at enmity with another, the oneness of the parentage ought to be sufficient to erase all memory of past wrongs when the offender is overtaken by misfortune. Such would be the case where there was any real family affection. God desires all His creatures to recognise a universal brotherhood in virtue of their relation to Him, their common Father. He desires men to be ever ready to seek occasions to draw together in unity, and to avoid all that deepens an opposite feeling. If a man retains his enmity against his offending brother when that brother by reason of misfortune might be reconciled to him, he ignores entirely the law of brotherly love which God desires to rule in His human family.<\/p>\n III. It is inconsistent with a right recognition of our need of Divine mercy<\/strong>. However much our offending brother may have wronged us, the amount of the debt of his trespass against us will bear no comparison to the amount of our indebtedness to God. In sinning against us he has but wronged an erring human creature like himself, and one who has very possibly failed in his duty towards him. But when we sin against God, we sin against One whose character is altogether fitted to win us to obedience, and whose every action in relation to us has been dictated by perfect love. It is only when we fail to recognise this truth that an unforgiving spirit can possess our hearts, and it is only when such a spirit has full sway that any man can exult in the downfall of his enemy.<\/p>\n OUTLINES AND SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS<\/em><\/p>\n For prevention hereof think thus with thyself: Either I am like mine enemy, or else I am better or worse than he. If like him, why may I not look for the like misery? If better, who made me to differ? If worse, what reason have I to insult? (See Oba. 1:12<\/span>)Trapp<\/em>.<\/p>\n St. Gregory saith it is only the keeping of charity that doth prove us to be the disciples of God, and that we have charity is shewn in two ways, namely, if we love our friends in God, and if we love our enemies for God. Because another is an enemy to thee, be not thou an enemy to goodness, an enemy to thyself, For he that rejoiceth when his enemy falleth, doth himself fall much worse, and hath more cause to be grieved for his own wretchedness; he that is glad in his heart when his enemy stumbleth, stumbleth more dangerously in his own heart.Jermin<\/em>.<\/p>\n For Homiletics on the subjects of Pro. 24:19-20<\/span> see Pro. 24:1<\/span> of this chapter, page 676, and chap. Pro. 13:9<\/span>, page 303.<\/p>\n 17, 18<\/strong>. <\/strong> Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth <\/strong> The difficulty of this proverb is in the apparent lowness, not to say unworthiness, of the motive presented for abstaining from exultation over the calamity of an enemy, lest the Lord cease to punish him. <\/em> But it is to be remembered, that it was Christ who first emphatically taught us to love and forgive our enemies, and that the proverb is not anti <\/em> but ante-<\/em> Christian. Even good men formerly thought it not wrong to hate their enemies, (Mat 5:43<\/span>,) and to wish and seek to do them harm. When, therefore, such a wicked enemy fell into any calamity, it was natural for even good men to rejoice over it. But as the feeling was liable to be more of a personal and selfish one than simply one of satisfaction in retributive justice for its own sake, the proverb was designed to modify and abate the feelings natural in the circumstances.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n v. 17. Rejoice not,<\/strong> in malignant joy, when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth,<\/strong> since delight in another’s hurt is just as objectionable as outright violence, <\/p>\n Pro 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:<\/p>\n Ver. 17. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth.<\/strong> ] If thou dost, it is a sure sign of devilish hatred – being the devil’s disease – what goodwill, innocence, or ignoscency soever thou makest show of. Job cleareth himself of this fault, Job 31:24 and so doth David notably. Psa 35:13-14 See his practice. 2Sa 1:11-12 Caesar wept when Pompey’s head was presented to him, and said, Victoriam volui, non vindictam.<\/em> See Trapp on “<\/em> Mat 5:44 “<\/em> See Trapp on “<\/em> Rom 12:19 “<\/em> <\/p>\n Rejoice not. Illustrations: Tyre (Eze 26:2-6); Ammon (Eze 25:6); David (2Sa 1:11, 2Sa 1:12). Compare Psa 35:13, Psa 35:14); Jeremiah (Jer 9:1); Edom (Oba 1:11-14). <\/p>\n Pro 24:17-18<\/p>\n Pro 24:17-18<\/p>\n “Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown; Lest Jehovah see it, and it displease him, And he turn away his wrath from him.”<\/p>\n “This teaches that it is one’s duty not to rejoice at the misfortunes of enemies. The word `rejoice’ refers to audible expressions of exultation. This, of course is a negative commandment; but the positive side of it, `sympathy for enemies’, although not expressed, may be implied (Mat 5:44).<\/p>\n Furthermore, this proverb does not teach that God may allow a wicked man to go unpunished, merely because some person rejoiced at his downfall. “The implication of the passage is that God might be more concerned with punishing his disobedient follower than that of the outright wicked.<\/p>\n Pro 24:17. The natural man has a tendency to rejoice over his enemys troubles (Psa 35:15). Oba 1:12 told Edom not to rejoice over Israels fall. David prayed that his enemies would not be given the chance to rejoice over his calamities (Psa 35:19). Job said he had not erred in this field (Job 31:29). And David was a good example of one who did not rejoice over his enemies misfortunes: see him as he weeps over the death of Saul (2Sa 1:11) and over the death of the revolting Absalom (2Sa 18:33).<\/p>\n Pro 24:18. God sees everything that takes place on the earth. He saw Adam and Eves sin in the beginning, and He has seen every sin since. Rejoicing over an enemys troubles or fall is displeasing to God to the point that in some way He will deal mercifully with him in the future as a result.<\/p>\n Pro 17:5, Jdg 16:25, 2Sa 16:5-14, Job 31:29, Psa 35:15, Psa 35:19, Psa 42:10, Oba 1:12, 1Co 13:6, 1Co 13:7 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: Exo 23:4 – General Jdg 16:23 – to rejoice 2Sa 1:12 – General 2Sa 3:32 – lifted Psa 70:3 – aha Pro 25:21 – General Isa 14:29 – Rejoice Jer 48:27 – was not Eze 25:3 – thou saidst Eze 25:6 – rejoiced Eze 36:5 – with the Mic 7:8 – Rejoice Luk 6:27 – Love Luk 10:34 – went Rom 12:19 – avenge 1Th 5:15 – none Rev 11:10 – rejoice<\/p>\n Pro 24:17-18. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth Namely, into mischief or trouble, as in the former verse; please not thyself in his destruction. This plainly shows that the love of our enemies is a precept of the Old Testament, as well as of the New: see Exo 23:4-5. Lest the Lord see it, &c. For though nobody sees it, God does; and such affections are so displeasing to him, that they may provoke him to translate the calamity from thy enemy unto thee, and thereby damp thy sinful joy with a double sorrow.<\/p>\n To complete the thought, we might add at the end of this saying: "and turn it on you." Gloating over someone else’s misfortune is a practice God disapproves-even if the other person is the adversary of the righteous (cf. Mat 5:44). Fear of God’s displeasure should warn the wise away from this attitude and activity.<\/p>\n "In truth the proverb teaches that the LORD will not promote further moral ugliness by maintaining the situation that exacerbates it." [Note: Waltke, The Book . . . 31, p. p. 285.] <\/span><\/p>\n Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: Pro 24:17-18 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth. Revenge Johnson makes a distinction between vengeance and revenge. Injuries, he says, are revenged; crimes are avenged. The former is an act of passion, the latter of justice. I. The object … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 24:17”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17107\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
I. <\/strong>The object of revenge. Thine enemy. Men are enemies to men. Humanity is not as it came from the hand of the Great Father of mankind. Sin has made the brother a foe. If man had no enemy, he would have no revenge. In heaven no such passion burns.<\/p>\n
II. <\/strong>The gratification of revenge. Let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth. The fall, the ruin of the enemy, is bliss to the revenging soul. But if unmanly, still more un-Christian. What said Christ? If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink, etc.<\/p>\n
III. <\/strong>The avenger of revenge. Lest the Lord see it, and it displeaseth Him, and he turn away His wrath from him.<\/p>\nFuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible <\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"