Proverbs 24 · a question people ask

"lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him" (24:18). Is the reason not to gloat so that your enemy still gets what he deserves?

In the text

The verse gives its reason and stops there. It follows straight on from "Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown" (24:17), and says, "lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him" (24:18). It doesn't say what follows once he turns away his wrath. Falls and overthrown are the two verbs of the verse before: "for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity" (24:16) (tap falls). The book speaks of this elsewhere too: "He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished" (Proverbs 17:5), and "If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat" (Proverbs 25:21). The notes on Proverbs 1 set 24:17 beside Wisdom's laughing (Proverbs 1:26), and the notes on Leviticus 19 look at Jesus's words, "love your enemies" (Matthew 5:44). These notes don't say more than the verses do, and don't name anyone's enemy today.

The verses

“for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown, lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.”
Proverbs 24:16-18 · World English Bible
“Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.”
Proverbs 17:5 · World English Bible
“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink;”
Proverbs 25:21 · World English Bible
“I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you,”
Proverbs 1:26 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Proverbs 24

Proverbs 24: According to his work

"Shall he not give to every man according to his work?" (24:12) and "I will repay the man according to his work" (24:29) use the same Hebrew verb and the same word for work: the repaying you are told not to say you will do, the chapter says of him who weighs the hearts. And the righteous falls too: he "falls seven times and rises up again" (24:16).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions