Proverbs 24: Rescue Them That Are Drawn unto Death

"Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches" (24:3–4).

"If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it?" (24:11–12).

"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth" (24:16–17).

"I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and, lo, it was all grown over with thorns… Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth" (24:30–34).

Terraces and walls

In the hill country of Judah vineyards were planted on terraces held up by dry-stone walls; a neglected terrace collapses in a few winters and thorns take over. The scene in 24:30–34 is drawn from daily life, and its last two verses repeat 6:10–11 almost word for word: an example of an editor attaching a known saying to a new observation.

24:16 "falleth seven times"

"Seven times" means many times. In context ("lay not wait… against the dwelling of the righteous," v. 15) the falls are calamities inflicted by others: the righteous are knocked down repeatedly but get up. Later readers often applied it to moral failure and repentance. Either way it is a saying about resilience, not a promise of immunity.

24:21 and 1 Peter 2:17

"My son, fear thou the LORD and the king" lies behind 1 Peter 2:17: "Fear God. Honour the king." The Greek of 24:21 ("fear God and the king, my son, and do not disobey either of them") is closer to Peter's wording. The Hebrew second line, "meddle not with them that are given to change (shonim)," may mean rebels or "those who are different"; the Greek reads it differently.

Where the Greek puts these verses

In the Old Greek, the appendix 24:23–34 comes after Hebrew 30:1–14 and before 30:15–33. The library's digital Greek reflects this by storing 24:23–25 twice (at the end of its chapter 24 and inside its chapter 30), with some of the Greek verse numbers left inside the text ("23. Voici ce que je dis…"). This is a feature of the digital file, not of any ancient manuscript (D check; C check against Rahlfs).