Proverbs 24:1

“Be not thou envious against evil men, etc.] Or, “men of evil”f652. 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 “<202317>Proverbs 23:17”); and compare with this (<202421>Proverbs 24:21,27,29,32); neither desire to be with them; to be in their…”

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

“A lesson given before, now combined with another. True followers after wisdom will admit neither envy of evil on the one hand, nor admiration or fellowship with it on the other. return to 'Top of Page'”

“24:1-2 Saying 19: See 1:8-19.”

“not: Pro 24:19, Pro 3:31, Pro 23:17; Psa 37:1, Psa 37:7, Psa 73:3; Gal 5:19-21; Jam 4:5, Jam 4:6 neither: Pro 1:11-15, Pro 13:20; Gen 13:10-13, Gen 19:1-11; Psa 26:9 Proverbs 24:2”

“After this divergence (in Pro 23:29-35) from the usual form of the proverb, there is now a return to the tetrastich: 1 Envy not evil men, And desire not to have intercourse with them. 2 For their heart thinketh of violence, And their lips speak mischief. The warning, not to envy the godless, is also found at Pro 3:31; Pro 23:17; Pro 24:19, but is differently constructed in each of these passages. Regarding תּתאו with Pathach, vid., at Pro 23:3. אנשׁי רעה (cf. רע, Pro 28:5) are the wicked, i.e., such as cleave to evil, and to whom evil clings. The warning is grounded in this, that whoever have intercourse with such men, make themselves partners in greater sins and evil: for their heart…”