Proverbs 24:9

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 24:7-9

Here is the description, 1. Of a weak man: Wisdom is too high for him; he thinks it so, and therefore, despairing to attain it, he will take no pains in the pursuit of it, but sit down content without it. And really it is so; he has not capacity for it, and therefore the advantages he has for getting it are all in vain to him. It is no easy thing to get wisdom; those that have natural parts good enough, yet if they be foolish, that is, if they be slothful and will not take pains, if they be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 24:9

The thoughts of foolishness is sin ,.... The thought of sin is sin F5 "Nam scelus intra se tacitum qui cogitat ullum, facti crimen habet", Juvenal. Satyr. 13. v. 209, 210. , before it comes into action; the motions of sin in the mind, the workings of corrupt nature in the heart, the sinful desires of the flesh and of the mind: these are forbidden and condemned by the law of God as sin, which says, "Thou shall not covet", Exodus 20:17 , and stand in need of pardoning grace and... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 24:9

The thought of foolishness is sin - חטאת אולת זמת zimmath ivveleth chattath . "The device of folly is transgression;" or, "an evil purpose is sinful;" or, perhaps more literally, "the device of the foolish is sin." It has been variously understood by the versions. "The cunning: of the fool is sin." - Targum. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 24:7-10

Some distichs now follow, concerned with wisdom and its opposite. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 24:7-10

Some traits of folly and sin I. THE GROVELLING MIND . ( Proverbs 24:7 .) Wisdom is too high for the indolent to climb to, for the sensual and earthly to admire and love. They are like Muck-rake, in Bunyan's parable. From such no good counsel ever comes. They are dumb "in the gate," on every important occasion, when help, light, sympathy, are needed. The base prudence which inspires many popular proverbs—the prudence "which adores the rule of three, which never subscribes, never... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 24:9

The thought of foolishness is sin. "Sin" is the subject in this clause as "the scorner" is in the next; and what it says is that sin is the exeogitation, the contriving of folly. The stoner is the real fool, m that he does not pursue his proper end, prepares misery for himself, is blind to his best interests. The connection between sin and folly, as between wisdom and righteousness, is continually enforced throughout the book. The scorner is an abomination to men. The man who scoffs at... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 24:9

Sin and folly However these words are read, they point to an association of sin and folly. This may be regarded from two points of view, according as we start with the thought of the sin or with that of the folly. I. SIN IMPLIES FOLLY . 1 . It chooses the worse of two courses . Thus it blunders into self-injury. Evil is not only culpable in the sight of God; it is hurtful to the evil doer. Its path is dark, degraded, disappointing. It is foolish to turn from the way of... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 24:9

The thought of foolishness. It will be well to be on our guard against a possible mistake here; for next in importance to our knowledge of what things are wrong and hurtful, is our freedom from imaginary fears and morbid anxieties respecting those things which are perfectly innocent and pure. We look, then, at— I. THOUGHTS WHICH MAY SEEM TO BE , BUT ARE NOT , CONDEMNED BY THESE WORDS . 1 . The serious but not taken thoughts of childhood or of uneducated... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 24:8-9

Proverbs 24:8-9. He that deviseth, &c., shall be called mischievous Hebrew, בעל מזמות , a master of crafts or mischiefs. Though he cover his wicked devices with fair pretences, and wishes to be better esteemed, he shall be branded with that infamy which is due to him. The thought of foolishness is sin The very inward thought or contrivance of evil, of which he spake Proverbs 24:8, even before it break forth into action, is a sin in God’s sight, and is hateful to God; and the... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Proverbs 24:1-34

Godly and ungodly citizens (24:1-34)In contrast to the destructive schemes of the wicked are the constructive acts of the wise. A life built by wisdom is likened to a strongly built and richly furnished house (24:1-4). Wisdom gives people real strength and success, but folly gives them nothing worthwhile, not even sensible words that can benefit their fellow citizens (5-7). (In ancient times the place where citizens liked to gather was the open area just inside the city gate; v. 7. There they... read more

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