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THE MESSAGE

Proverbs 24:17

28 Don't laugh when your enemy falls; don't crow over his collapse. God might see, and become very provoked, and then take pity on his plight.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Enemy;   Forgiveness;   Love;   Malice;   Young Men;   Thompson Chain Reference - Duty;   Enemies;   Joy-Sorrow;   Love;   Rejoicing;   Social Duties;   Social Life;   The Topic Concordance - Enemies;   Rejoice;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Enemies;   Revenge;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Enemy;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Hating, Hatred;   Old Testament (I. Christ as Fulfilment of);  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fall;   Wisdom;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - AḥiḴar;   Forgiveness;   Samuel Ha-Ḳaá¹­on;   Wisdom;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for July 28;   Every Day Light - Devotion for December 22;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Don’t gloat when your enemy falls,and don’t let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
Hebrew Names Version
Don't rejoice when your enemy falls. Don't let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;
King James Version
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
English Standard Version
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
New American Standard Bible
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
New Century Version
Don't be happy when your enemy is defeated; don't be glad when he is overwhelmed.
Amplified Bible
Do not rejoice and gloat when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad [in self-righteousness] when he stumbles,
World English Bible
Don't rejoice when your enemy falls. Don't let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;
Geneva Bible (1587)
Bee thou not glad when thine enemie falleth, and let not thine heart reioyce when hee stumbleth,
Legacy Standard Bible
When your enemy falls, do not be glad,And when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice;
Berean Standard Bible
Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
Contemporary English Version

-28-

Don't be happy to see your enemies trip and fall down.
Complete Jewish Bible
Don't rejoice when your enemy falls; don't let your heart be glad when he stumbles.
Darby Translation
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
Easy-to-Read Version
Don't be happy when your enemy has troubles. Don't be glad when they fall.
George Lamsa Translation
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he is overthrown,
Good News Translation

-28-

Don't be glad when your enemies meet disaster, and don't rejoice when they stumble.
Lexham English Bible
While your enemies are falling, do not rejoice; when he trips himself, may your heart not be glad
Literal Translation
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Reioyce not thou at ye fall of thine enemie, and let not thine herte be glad whan he stombleth.
American Standard Version
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, And let not thy heart be glad when he is overthrown;
Bible in Basic English
Do not be glad at the fall of your hater, and let not your heart have joy at his downfall:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;
King James Version (1611)
Reioyce not when thine enemie falleth: and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Reioyce not thou at the fall of thyne enemie, and let not thyne heart be glad when he stumbleth:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
If thine enemy should fall, rejoice not over him, neither be elated at his overthrow.
English Revised Version
Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he is overthrown:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whanne thin enemye fallith, haue thou not ioye; and thin herte haue not ful out ioiyng in his fal;
Update Bible Version
Don't rejoice when your enemy falls, And don't let your heart be glad when he is overthrown;
Webster's Bible Translation
Rejoice not when thy enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth:
New English Translation
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice,
New King James Version
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
New Living Translation
Don't rejoice when your enemies fall; don't be happy when they stumble.
New Life Bible
Do not be full of joy when the one who hates you falls. Do not let your heart be glad when he trips.
New Revised Standard
Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When thine enemy falleth, do not thou rejoice, and, when he stumbleth, let not thy heart exult:
Douay-Rheims Bible
When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:
Revised Standard Version
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles;
Young's Literal Translation
In the falling of thine enemy rejoice not, And in his stumbling let not thy heart be joyful,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

Contextual Overview

1728 Don't laugh when your enemy falls; don't crow over his collapse. God might see, and become very provoked, and then take pity on his plight.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 17:5, Judges 16:25, 2 Samuel 16:5-14, Job 31:29, Psalms 35:15, Psalms 35:19, Psalms 42:10, Obadiah 1:12, 1 Corinthians 13:6, 1 Corinthians 13:7

Reciprocal: Exodus 23:4 - General Judges 16:23 - to rejoice 2 Samuel 1:12 - General 2 Samuel 3:32 - lifted Psalms 70:3 - aha Proverbs 25:21 - General Isaiah 14:29 - Rejoice Jeremiah 48:27 - was not Ezekiel 25:3 - thou saidst Ezekiel 25:6 - rejoiced Ezekiel 36:5 - with the Micah 7:8 - Rejoice Luke 6:27 - Love Luke 10:34 - went Romans 12:19 - avenge 1 Thessalonians 5:15 - none Revelation 11:10 - rejoice

Cross-References

Genesis 24:1
Abraham was now an old man. God had blessed Abraham in every way.
Genesis 24:6
Abraham said, "Oh no. Never. By no means are you to take my son back there. God , the God of Heaven, took me from the home of my father and from the country of my birth and spoke to me in solemn promise, ‘I'm giving this land to your descendants.' This God will send his angel ahead of you to get a wife for my son. And if the woman won't come, you are free from this oath you've sworn to me. But under no circumstances are you to take my son back there."
Genesis 24:18
She said, "Certainly, drink!" And she held the jug so that he could drink. When he had satisfied his thirst she said, "I'll get water for your camels, too, until they've drunk their fill." She promptly emptied her jug into the trough and ran back to the well to fill it, and she kept at it until she had watered all the camels. The man watched, silent. Was this God 's answer? Had God made his trip a success or not?
1 Kings 17:10
So he got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the entrance of the village he met a woman, a widow, gathering firewood. He asked her, "Please, would you bring me a little water in a jug? I need a drink." As she went to get it, he called out, "And while you're at it, would you bring me something to eat?"
John 4:7
A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, "Would you give me a drink of water?" (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.)
John 4:9
The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, "How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (Jews in those days wouldn't be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth,.... These words are spoken not to the wicked man, Proverbs 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",

1 Corinthians 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 Obadiah 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, Exodus 15:1; and as will be by the church at the destruction of antichrist, and which they are called upon to do, Revelation 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

Psalms 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

Proverbs 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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 24:17. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, (into this mischief,) and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth — When he meets with any thing that injures him; for God will not have thee to avenge thyself, or feel any disposition contrary to love; for if thou do, the Lord will be angry, and may turn away his wrath from him, and pour it out on thee.

This I believe to be the true sense of these verses: but we must return to the sixteenth, as that has been most sinfully misrepresented.

For a just man falleth seven times. - That is, say many, "the most righteous man in the world sins seven times a day on an average." Solomon does not say so: -

1. There is not a word about sin in the text.

2. The word day is not in the Hebrew text, nor in any of the versions.

3. The word יפול yippol, from נפל naphal, to fall, is never applied to sin.

4. When set in opposition to the words riseth up, it merely applies to affliction or calamity. See Micah 7:8; Amos 8:4; Jeremiah 25:27; and Psalms 34:19; Psalms 34:20. "The righteous falls into trouble." See above.

Mr. Holden has a very judicious note on this passage: "Injure not a righteous man; for, though he frequently falls into distress, yet, by the superintending care of Providence, 'he riseth up again,' is delivered from his distress, while the wicked are overwhelmed with their misfortunes. That this is the meaning is plain from the preceding and following verses: yet some expound it by the just man often relapsing into sin, and recovering from it; nay, it has even been adduced to prove the doctrine of the final perseverance of the elect. But נפל is never used for falling into sin, but into distress and affliction - as Proverbs 11:5; Proverbs 11:14; Proverbs 13:17; Proverbs 17:20; Proverbs 26:27; Proverbs 28:10; Proverbs 28:14; Proverbs 28:18."


 
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