Proverbs 24:27

“Prepare . . . in the field--Secure, by diligence, a proper support, and then build; provide necessaries, then comforts, to which a house rather pertained, in a mild climate, permitting the use of tents.”

“i. e., Get an estate into good order before erecting a house on it. To “build a house” may, however, be equivalent (compare Exodus 1:21; Deuteronomy 25:9; Ruth 4:11) to “founding a family;” and the words a warning against a hasty and imprudent marriage. The young man is taught to cultivate his land before he has to bear the burdens of a family. Further, in a spiritual sense, the “field” may be the man’s outer common work, the “house” the dwelling-place of his higher life. He must do the former faithfully in order to attain the latter. Neglect in one is fatal to the other. Compare Luke 16:10-11. return to 'Top of Page'”

“24:27 Saying 3: A wise person establishes a source of income before spending money on himself.”

“Kg1 5:17, Kg1 5:18, Kg1 6:7; Luk 14:28-30 Proverbs 24:28”

“Warning against the establishing of a household where the previous conditions are wanting: Set in order thy work without, And make it ready for thyself beforehand in the fields, - After that then mayest thou build thine house. The interchange of בּחוּץ and בּשּׂדה shows that by מלאכת השּׂדה field-labour, Ch1 27:26, is meant. הכין, used of arrangement, procuring, here with מלאכה, signifies the setting in order of the word, viz., the cultivation of the field. In the parallel member, עתּדה, carrying also its object, in itself is admissible: make preparations (lxx, Syr.); but the punctuation עתּדהּ (Targ., Venet.; on the other hand, Jerome and Luther translate as if the words were ועתדה השּׂדה)…”