Proverbs 24:25

But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.
– Proverbs 24:25

This verse continues from the previous and gives the alternative to perverted justice, which is right judgment. The word for delight denotes pleasantness and the word for blessing means prosperity. These words describe the reward that comes to those who judge righteous judgment. The rebuke indicated in the verse is given to the guilty from the previous verse.

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Proverbs 24:23

These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
– Proverbs 24:23

Verse 23 begins an additional collection of wise sayings, which runs through the end of the end of the chapter. Verses 23-26 form a saying concerning just judgment. The phrase respect of persons literally means: look at the face. It is put for showing partiality in judgment. The word for judgment means a verdict, or decision. It has legal connotations. The saying is a warning against perverting justice. We show partiality in giving favor to the rich or powerful. We also show partiality by giving favor the poor or downtrodden. The latter is sometimes called reverse discrimination. Any perversion of justice, regardless of the direction favor is shown, is unjust (Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17; 16:19; Proverbs 18:5; 28:21).

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Proverbs 24:22

For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?
– Proverbs 24:22

Verse 22 explains the warning in the previous verse. The wording is a little difficult. The word for calamity means ruin and indicates the downfall of the rebels of the previous verse. The word for ruin means destruction. The both referred to is most naturally understood of God and the king in the previous verse. The warning is in light of the judgment coming upon the rebellious (Proverbs 16:14; 20:2).

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Proverbs 24:20

For there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.
– Proverbs 24:20

This verse gives the explanation for the warning in the previous verse and takes a deathly serious turn. Commentators vary as to how much the afterlife is in view in Proverbs. Wisdom in Proverbs is concerned with the long view and the end of ways, so it is expected that the end of life, and what’s after, is in view. The word for reward means after part, or end. It is most often translated “end” in this book (Proverbs 5:4; 14:12-13; 16:25; 19:20; 20:21; 23:18; 25:8). Those verses reflect the meaning of outcome, and in many instances it is the outcome of life. When taken with the last phrase, it is plain this verse is talking about death and the loss of expectation or hope for the wicked. The imagery of the candle being put out for the wicked is used consistently to indicate the forfeiture of any good expectation at the death of the wicked (Proverbs 13:9; 20:20).

The saying is a sober warning to realize the end of the wicked and therefore not to envy or begrudge their successes. The prosperity of evil men is temporary, though it may seem to last their entire earthly lives. This warning is echoed throughout Proverbs (Proverbs 5:23; 8:36; 9:18; 11:7; 23:13-14).

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Proverbs 24:18

Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
– Proverbs 24:18

Verse 18 provides a surprising explanation for the warning in verse 17. Gloating over the downfall of your adversaries is displeasing to the Lord. It doesn’t seem ultimate, divine judgment is in view, but rather the calamities that befall those who oppose you. Wisdom here seems to be along the lines of the words of Jesus when we warned about misinterpreting providential events in Luke 13:1-5. In other words, we don’t know the providence behind a calamity that comes on one. We should not assume such a calamity is a justification of ourselves and a condemnation of those we don’t get along with.

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Proverbs 24:12

If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his works?
– Proverbs 24:12

Proverbs doesn’t often refer cases upward, but verses like this one bring us back to the deeply theological realities of wisdom. We know that justice, or righteousness, is the context of this saying. Walking wisdom means walking in the way of justice, and that may not be the way of momentary successes. If we consider proverbs such as Proverbs 18:16 and Proverbs 17:23, we righteousness is more important than wealth. Additionally, religious acts will not make up for the lack of doing righteousness (Proverbs 15:8; 16:6; 21:27; 28:9, 13). The first phrase is a feigned ignorance and the rest of the verse dismisses this with the sovereign omniscience of Yahweh. Wisdom understands Yahweh knows us inside and out (Proverbs 5:3, 11, 21; 16:2; 17:3; 20:12; 21:2), and shall reward us according the reality of ways (Proverbs 3:32-33; 11:4, 19, 21; 12:14; 15:9; 16:4; 17:5; 19:5; 28:20).

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Proverbs 22:23

For the LORD will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.
– Proverbs 22:23

Verse 23 gives the consequence for verse 22, which forbids unjust treatment of the weak and needy. Wisdom has previously given warning against injustice toward the poor because God is their Creator (Proverbs 14:31; 17:5). Here God is their counsellor and protector. He will plead their cause means he will take their case and contend for them. The word for spoil means to rob. Yahweh will also mete out justice to those who have oppressed the poor. In due time, exploiters will reap what they have sown (Proverbs 1:16-19; 5:22-23; 28:17).

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Proverbs 22:14

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.
– Proverbs 22:14

Though the strange woman featured often in the fatherly addresses of chapters 1-9, she is scarcely mentioned in the large collection of proverbs that form the bulk of this book. The reference to deep pit means a hazard, or a trap. The reference to the mouth means the danger of listening to her flatteries (Proverbs 2:16; 5:3-4; 6:24; 7:5). The word for abhorred means enraged and refers to the subjects of God’s wrath. They fall in the deep pit as judgment for forsaking the way of the Lord.

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Proverbs 22:8

He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.
– Proverbs 22:8

This proverb is one of the reap-what-you-sow proverbs. Wisdom teaches to consider the consequence and outcome of our way. Where will it all end? The word for iniquity means injustice. Sowing iniquity images a life lived by gains of oppression, and nothing but trouble can come of it (Proverbs 10:2; 11:18; 20:17; 21:6). The second phrase speaks of the sure end of his rod of anger through implied judgment. His iniquity will be stopped and he will be cut off (Proverbs 11:7; 14:32). Wisdom gives a warning to the wicked and also hope to the suffering righteous.

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