PRO 24

Proverbs 24:15

WEB

Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;

BSB

Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.

KJV

Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:

Matthew Henry

Verses 15–16

Proverbs 24:15–16

This is spoken, not so much by way of counsel to wicked men (they will not receive instruction, Pro 23:9), but rather in defiance of them, for the encouragement of good people that are threatened by them. See here, 1. The designs of the wicked against the righteous, and the success they promise themselves in those designs. The plot is laid deeply: They lay wait against the dwelling of the righteous, thinking to charge some iniquity upon it, or compass dome design against it; they lie in wait at the door, to catch him when he stirs out, as David's persecutors, Ps. 59 title. The hope is raised high; they doubt not but to spoil his dwelling-place because he is weak and cannot support it, because his condition is low and distressed, and he is almost down already. All this is a fruit of the old enmity in the seed of the serpent against the seed of the woman. The blood-thirsty hate the upright. 2. The folly and frustration of these designs (1.) The righteous man, whose ruin was expected, recovers himself. He falls seven times into trouble, but, by the blessing of God upon his wisdom and integrity, he rises again, sees through his troubles and sees better times after them. The just man falls, sometimes falls seven times perhaps, into sin, sins of infirmity, through the surprise of temptation; but he rises again by repentance, finds mercy with God, and regains his peace. (2.) The wicked man, who expected to see his ruin and to help it forward, is undone. He falls into mischief; his sins and his troubles are his utter destruction.

Cross-references: Prov 23:9

Hebrew interlinear

H408

אַלʼal/al/

adv — not, nothing

Derivation: a negative particle (akin to 3808);

not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing

KJV: nay, neither, + never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.

אַל

adv. of negation — not

אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition

H693

אָרַבʼârab/aw-rab'/

v — lurk

Derivation: a primitive root;

to lurk

KJV: (lie in) ambush(-ment), lay (lie in) wait.

אָרַב

vb — lie in wait

אָרַב vb. lie in wait

Qal lie in wait (with hostile purpose)

Pi. Pt. pl. liers-in-wait

Hiph. Impf. but txt. dub.

H7563

רָשָׁעrâshâʻ/raw-shaw'/

a — wrong, bad

Derivation: from 7561;

morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person

KJV: condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.

רָשָׁע

adj — wicked

רָשָׁע 263 adj. wicked, criminal

H5116

נָוֶהnâveh/naw-veh'/

n — at home, lovely, home, den

Derivation: or (feminine) נָוָה; from 5115;

(adjectively) at home; hence (by implication of satisfaction) lovely; also (noun) a home, of God (temple), men (residence), flocks (pasture), or wild animals (den)

KJV: comely, dwelling (place), fold, habitation, pleasant place, sheepcote, stable, tarried.

נָוֶה

adj — dwelling

[נָוֶה] adj. dwelling, abiding

נָוֶה

n.m — abode of shepherd

נָוֶה n.m. abode of shepherd, or flocks, poet. habitation

1.

a. abode, of sheep

b. abode of shepherds

c. = meadow

2. habitation, usu. of country, or of domains in the country (chiefly poet.)

H6662

צַדִּיקtsaddîyq/tsad-deek'/

a — just

Derivation: from 6663;

just

KJV: just, lawful, righteous (man).

צַדִּיק

adj — just

צַדִּיק 206 adj. just, righteous

H7703

שָׁדַדshâdad/shaw-dad'/

v — be burly, powerful, impregnable, ravage

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to be burly, i.e. (figuratively) powerful (passively, impregnable); by implication, to ravage

KJV: dead, destroy(-er), oppress, robber, spoil(-er), × utterly, (lay) waste.

שָׁדַד

vb — deal violently with

[שָׁדַד] 56 vb. deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin

Qal violently destroy, pers. = slay

Niph. we are utterly ruined.

Pi. assault not his dwelling-place

Pu. be devastated

Pō‛el violently destroy

Hoph. be devastated

H7258

רֵבֶץrêbets/reh'-bets/

n-m — couch

Derivation: from 7257;

a couch or place of repose

KJV: where each lay, lie down in, resting place.

רֵ֫בֶץ

n.[m.] — place of

רֵ֫בֶץ n.[m.] (place of) lying down, resting- or dwelling-place

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