Proverbs 10:23

“[It is] as sport to a fool to do mischief, etc.] To do any injury to the persons and properties of men; which shows a most wicked and malicious spirit, a very depraved nature indeed: or rather “to commit sin”f279 of any sort, which he has devised in his own heart; it is as a “laughing”f280, as the words may be rendered; it is a laughing matter to him, he commits sin, and, when he has done it, laughs at it; instead of being ashamed of it, and humbled for it, he makes a mock at it, and a jest of it, as well as of all religion, and of the reproofs and admonitions of good men. Sin is pastime, he takes as much delight and pleasure in it as men do in their sports, and commits it as openly and…”

“Sin is the pleasure of the wicked; wisdom that of the good.”

“As the fool finds his sport in doing mischief, so the man of understanding finds in wisdom his truest refreshment and delight. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Pro 14:9, Pro 15:21, Pro 26:18, Pro 26:19; Ecc 11:9 Proverbs 10:24”

“23 Like sport to a fool is the commission of a crime; And wisdom to a man of understanding. Otherwise Lwenstein: to a fool the carrying out of a plan is as sport; to the man of understanding, on the contrary, as wisdom. זמּה, from זמם, to press together, mentally to think, as Job 17:11, and according to Gesenius, also Pro 21:27; Pro 24:9. But זמּה has the prevailing signification of an outrage against morality, a sin of unchastity; and especially the phrase עשׂה זמּה is in Jdg 20:6 and in Ezekiel not otherwise used, so that all the old interpreters render it here by patrare scelus; only the Targum has the equivocal עבד עבידתּא; the Syriac, however, 'bd bı̂\_taa'. Sinful conduct appears to…”