Proverbs 24:15-16

To make a point, the speaker spoke to his son as though he were addressing a wicked man in this saying. This device gives the warning more force since the wicked man’s main concern is his own self-interest. The point is that the righteous is resilient because he trusts in God. Furthermore, God defends the righteous. Virtue triumphs in the end. [Note: Whybray, The Book . . ., p. 140.]