(Prov 24:1 NASB) Do not be envious of evil men, Nor desire to be with them;
(Prov 24:2 NASB) For their minds devise violence, And their lips talk of trouble.
Prov 24:2: This is another warning against associating with, or being envious of, evil men.
(Prov 24:3 NASB) By wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;
(Prov 24:4 NASB) And by knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.
Prov 24:4: The foundation of a family is to be wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. These are all references to reading, understanding, and following His Torah (Psalm 111:10, 112:1, 1 Chron. 22:12, Psalm 119:34, Hosea 4:6).
(Prov 24:5 NASB) A wise man is strong, And a man of knowledge increases power.
(Prov 24:6 NASB) For by wise guidance you will wage war, And in abundance of counselors there is victory.
Prov 24:6: Through wisdom and knowledge and an abundance of counselors, war will be victorious (Prov. 20:18).
(Prov 24:7 NASB) Wisdom is too high for a fool, He does not open his mouth in the gate.
Prov 24:7: “The gate” is a reference to the gates of the city. It is where the wise men and elders meet and discuss and make judgments (Amos 5:10).
(Prov 24:8 NASB) He who plans to do evil, Men will call him a schemer.
(Prov 24:9 NASB) The devising of folly is sin, And the scoffer is an abomination to men.
Prov 24:9: Those who plan to do evil are schemers and an abomination to men.
(Prov 24:10 NASB) If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited.
Prov 24:10: The best test of one’s strength is how much distress they can withstand without failing. If we cave under small pressure, we have no strength (Isa. 40:28-31).
(Prov 24:11 NASB) Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, O hold them back.
Prov 24:11: We are to defend the helpless (Psalm 82:4, Isa. 58:6-7).
(Prov 24:12 NASB) If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?
Prov 24:12: The excuse of feigned ignorance will not be acceptable to the Father (1 Sam. 16:9, Psalm 7:9, Jer. 17:9).
(Prov 24:13 NASB) My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
Prov 24:13: The benefits and nutrients of raw honey are numerous.
(Prov 24:14 NASB) Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off.
Prov 24:14: Wisdom (learning and following His Torah) is good for your life (soul) (Psalm 19:7-11).
(Prov 24:15 NASB) Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not destroy his resting place;
(Prov 24:16 NASB) For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity.
Prov 24:16: As mentioned earlier, the righteous are strengthened by the Father (Psalm 34:19, 37:23-24).
(Prov 24:17 NASB) Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
(Prov 24:18 NASB) Lest the LORD see it and be displeased, And He turn away His anger from him.
Prov 24:18: The “enemy” spoken of here is still speaking of a brother, or a fellow Israelite. We should not be glad when he stumbles or fails.
(Prov 24:19 NASB) Do not fret because of evildoers, Or be envious of the wicked;
(Prov 24:20 NASB) For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Prov 24:20: It is a waste of time to fret over evil men. They will be judged (Isa. 3:11).
(Prov 24:21 NASB) My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change;
(Prov 24:22 NASB) For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?
Prov 24:22: Do not associate with those we are opposed to the Father and to a righteous king. Both will punish rebellion.
(Prov 24:23 NASB) These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.
(Prov 24:24 NASB) He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him;
(Prov 24:25 NASB) But to those who rebuke the wicked will be delight, And a good blessing will come upon them.
Prov 24:25: Partiality in judgment is evil. The wicked should be judged fairly. Paul told Timothy to rebuke those in his assembly and do it without partiality (1 Tim. 5:20-23).
(Prov 24:26 NASB) He kisses the lips Who gives a right answer.
Prov 24:26: The phrase “kisses the lips” means it seals a matter. So does he who gives a right answer.
(Prov 24:27 NASB) Prepare your work outside, And make it ready for yourself in the field; Afterwards, then, build your house.
Prov 24:27: It would appear that this passage is saying that a man needs to make many preparations before building his house (Luke 14:28-30).
(Prov 24:28 NASB) Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not deceive with your lips.
(Prov 24:29 NASB) Do not say, “Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”
Prov 24:29: We are not to take vengeance against our neighbor (Romans 12:17-21).
(Prov 24:30 NASB) I passed by the field of the sluggard, And by the vineyard of the man lacking sense;
(Prov 24:31 NASB) And behold, it was completely overgrown with thistles, Its surface was covered with nettles, And its stone wall was broken down.
(Prov 24:32 NASB) When I saw, I reflected upon it; I looked, and received instruction.
(Prov 24:33 NASB) “A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest,”
(Prov 24:34 NASB) Then your poverty will come as a robber, And your want like an armed man.
Prov 24:34: The wise man learns a lesson by observing the sluggard and his field. The sluggards lack of effort lead to his poverty, which came quickly.
Patrick McGuire
Copyright 2014 Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly All rights reserved, no portion of this Lesson may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews. Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly Fort Smith, Arkansas