Proverbs 24:16 Kommentar

Here, 1. The caution given is much the same with that which we had before (Pro 23:17), not to envy sinners, not to think them happy, nor to whish ourselves in their condition, though they prosper ever so much in this world, and are ever so marry and ever so secure. "Let not such a thought ever come into thy mind, O that I could shake off the restraints of religion and conscience, and take as great a liberty to indulge the sensual appetite, as I see such and such do! No; desire not to be with them, to do as they do and fare as they fare, and to cast in thy lot among them." 2. Here is another reason given for this caution: "Be not envious against them, not only because their end will be had, but because their way is so, Pro 24:2. Do not think with them, for their heart studies destruction to others, but it will prove destruction to themselves. Do not speak like them, for their lips talk of their mischief. All they say has an ill tendency, to dishonour God, reproach religion, or wrong their neighbour; but it will be mischief to themselves at last. It is therefore thy wisdom to have nothing to do with them. Nor hast thou any reason to look upon them with envy, but with pity rather, or a just indignation at their wicked practices."

Be not thou envious against evil men,.... Or, "men of evil" (b). Such who are addicted to evil, and given up to it, whose principles and practices are bad; such as are before described in the preceding chapter; gluttons and drunkards, men given to women and wine: envy not their present prosperity, or seeming pleasure they have in the gratification of their sensual appetites; since woe and sorrow, wounds and strife, now attend them, and poverty and want will follow them; as well as everlasting ruin and destruction will be their portion hereafter; See Gill on Pro 23:17; and compare with this Pro 24:21; neither desire to be with them; to be in their company; to have any conversation and fellowship with them, which is very infectious, dangerous, and pernicious; nor even to be in the same state, condition, and circumstances they are in; much less to do as they do, and imitate them in their sinful courses; as you would not choose to be with them in hell hereafter, do not desire to be with them here. (b) "viros mali", Baynus, Michaelis.

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,.... These words are spoken not to the wicked man, Pro 24:15; 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", Co1 13:6, 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 Oba 1:12. 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, Exo 15:1; and as will be by the church at the destruction of antichrist, and which they are called upon to do, Rev 18:20; partly on account of their own deliverance and safety, and chiefly because of the glory of God, and of his justice displayed therein; see Psa 58:10; 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 Pro 25:21; for to love an enemy, and show regard to him, is the doctrine both of the Old and of the New Testament; and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth; 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.

The text, “For a just man shall fall seven times and shall rise again,” means that he will not perish, however often he falls. There is here no question of falling into sins but of afflictions leading to a lower life.

The words “falls seven times” are employed to express every kind of tribulation, whereby one is cast down in the sight of people; and the words “rises up again” signify that one profits from all these tribulations.

“The just falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked shall be weakened in evils.” When evils befall the wicked, they are weakened by them. When evils befall the righteous, “the Lord strengthens all that are falling” … “and lifts up all those that have been cast down”: all, that is, who belong to him, for “God resists the proud.”

There will be no end of penance for those little offenses by which “the righteous person falls seven times,” as it is written, “and gets up again.” For we commit these frequently every day, unwillingly or willingly, whether through ignorance or forgetfulness or thought or word or surprise or necessity or weakness of the flesh or pollution during a dream. On account of these David asks the Lord in prayer for purification and forgiveness, saying, “Who understands his sins? From my hidden sins cleanse me, and from those of others spare your servant.” And the apostle says, “The good that I want, I do not do, but the evil that I do not want, this I do.” -.

For those small offences by which “the righteous falls seven times and will rise again” penitence will never cease, as it is written. For either through ignorance, or forgetfulness, or thought, or word, or surprise, or necessity, or weakness of the flesh, or defilement in a dream, we often fall every day either against our will or voluntarily. On account of these offences—for which he also prays to the Lord and asks for purification and pardon—David says: “Who can understand sins? Cleanse me from my secret sins; and spare your servant from those of others.” And the apostle says: “For I do not do the good that I desire, but the evil that I do not desire, that I do.”

A Christian is said to rise again in two different senses: when he perseveres in God’s gifts of justification after he has been set free by grace from the death of the vices in this world, as the most wise Solomon says: “A just man falls seven times and he rises again.” There is also said to be that general resurrection at which the just will obtain their eternal rewards.

With God’s help we both can and should be without serious offenses, but no just person ever was or ever will be able to live without small sins. We are continuously troubled and tormented by these as by flies buzzing around.… Very often sins creep up on us through thoughts or desires or speech or action, as the result of necessity, through weakness or out of forgetfulness. If a person thinks only of serious sins and strives to resist only these but has little or no care about small sins, he incurs no less danger than if he committed more serious offenses. Therefore let us not think little of our sins because they are slight, but let us fear them because they are many. Drops of rain are small, but because they are very many, they fill rivers and submerge houses, and sometimes by their force they even carry off mountains.

Let no one, therefore, believe, as Pelagius teaches, that he can live without sins and debts, when he sees the apostles praying earnestly for their own transgressions, as the Lord teaches. And there is also written elsewhere, “The righteous falls seven times and rises again.” For it is impossible even for the saints to live without occasionally incurring guilt in very small sins which are committed through talk, thought, ignorance, forgetfulness, necessity, will, surprise. But still they do not cease being righteous, because with the Lord’s assistance they rise again more quickly from their guilty act.

Although the righteous may offend perhaps through the frailty of the flesh or through ignorance, nevertheless he does not cease to be righteous, because just as there is daily and unavoidable offense of this kind, so also there is the daily remedy of prayers and good works that quickly raises up the righteous offender, so that he may not tumble to the ground and befoul with the dust of vices the marriage dress of charity and faith.

For the just man falls seven times, etc. But how is he called just, who is remembered to fall, that is, to sin? unless he speaks of the slight and daily sins, without which none of the just could exist in this life? For certainly through ignorance, through forgetfulness, through thought, through speech, through surprise, through necessity, through the frailty of the flesh, each day, either unwillingly or willingly, we frequently incur guilt. And yet the righteous rises again, evidently because he is righteous, nor does the fall of human frailty prejudice his righteousness. Hence, well, when speaking of the fall of the righteous, he did not add "into evil," because although it is evil that they fall, they are nevertheless not able to remain in evil, by promptly rising again they procure [their recovery]. But on the contrary it is said of the reprobates: "But the impious will fall into evil," because evidently the impious, when they fall, or worse, when they sin grievously, as Scripture says, that is, when they commit capital crimes, they so delight in their fall that they scorn to rise again by repenting.

(Pro. 24:1-34) (Compare Pro 23:3, Pro 23:17; Psa 37:1).

seven times--often, or many (Pro 6:16, Pro 6:31; Pro 9:1).