1DO NOT ENVY wicked men,
do not desire their company;
2for their hearts plot violence,
and their lips talk about making trouble.
3By wisdom a house is built,
and through understanding it is established;
4through knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and beautiful treasures.
5A wise man has great power,
and a man of knowledge increases strength;
6for waging war you need guidance,
and for victory many advisers.
7Wisdom is too high for a fool;
in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say.
8He who plots evil
will be known as a schemer.
9The schemes of folly are sin,
and men detest a mocker.
10If you falter in times of trouble,
how small is your strength!
11Rescue those being led away to death;
hold back those staggering toward slaughter.
12If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?
13Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
14Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul;
if you find it, there is a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.
15Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man’s house,
do not raid his dwelling place;
16for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
17Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
18or the LORD will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him.
19Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of the wicked,
20for the evil man has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.
21Fear the LORD and the king, my son,
and do not join with the rebellious,
22or those two will send sudden destruction upon them,
and who knows what calamities they can bring?
23These also are sayings of the wise:
To show partiality in judging is not good:
24Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent”—
peoples will curse him and nations denounce him.
25But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,
and rich blessing will come upon them.
26An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips.
27Finish your outdoor work
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house.
28Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,
or use your lips to deceive.
29Do not say, “I’ll do to him as he has done to me;
I’ll pay that man back for what he did.”
30I went past the field of the sluggard,
past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;
31thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
32I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
34and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man.
THE CHAPTER DIVIDES into two parts: the conclusion of “the sayings of the wise” in 24:1–221 (cf. 22:17) and an appendix that begins, “These also are the sayings of the wise” (24:23–34). Themes that repeat in 24:1–22 include the house and using strength to help others instead of bringing them down; in 24:23–34, images of house and field are juxtaposed with more instructions about dealing with neighbors. While Yahweh sayings appear at the beginning, middle, and end of the “sayings of the wise,”2 no direct or indirect mention is made in 24:23–34, although blessings and poverty are named (24:25, 34). If this section was written to teach those heading into public service, the symbols of the legal system (“the gate,” 22:22; 24:7) and emphases on speaking (22:21; 24:7) that frame the “sayings of the wise” call not only for personal integrity but also for using power to speak for those who have none (24:5–12, 23–26). The structure continues along the lines of paired sayings on a theme.3
Advocacy, Not Envy (24:1–12)
Do not envy the wicked (24:1–2)
By wisdom a house is built and filled (24:3–4)
By wisdom one grows in power (24:5–6)
Fools, schemers, and weaklings (24:7–10)
Rescue those heading for death (24:11–12)
Trust and Hope, Not Violence or Gloating (24:13–22)
Wisdom nourishes like honey (24:13–14)
Do not lie in wait for the righteous (24:15–16)
Do not gloat when enemies fall (24:17–18)
Do not fret or envy evildoers (24:19–20)
Fear Yahweh and the king (24:21–22)
Diligence and Honesty, Not Partiality (24:23–34)
Judge rightly, kiss the lips (24:23–26)
First the field, then the house (24:27–34)
Advocacy, Not Envy (24:1–12)
BENEFITS AND RESPONSIBILITIES of wisdom are described by the metaphors of house (24:3–4), military strength (24:5–6), and city gate (24:7). The wise are to rescue their neighbors, not scheme against them (24:1–2, 8–10).
24:1–2. This pair of sayings recapitulates the teaching of 23:15–21. Themes of envy (23:17) and bad company (23:20) reappear as the learner is warned against those who use heart and lips to do violence instead of what they were created for, namely, to speak rightly in the fear of Yahweh (23:15–18). The choice of companions often begins in the desire to emulate. But what kind of company can one have with people who think and speak about trouble? What is there to envy except easy gain?
24:3–4. The association of wisdom with building a house has appeared in previous parts of the book (9:1; 14:1), but here includes the contributions of “understanding” and “knowledge.” By these a house is not only built and established, it is filled with treasures “rare and beautiful” (cf. 3:15; 8:18). Wealth may be obtained by violence and deceit (24:1–2; cf. 1:13), but only by wisdom does one have a place to live. This theme is picked up in 24:27–34; without wise work in the field, the house will be empty. While warnings against greed and threats of danger have been associated with wealth in other parts of the book, here the motivations are like those of Woman Wisdom, who holds life in one hand and wealth and honor in the other (3:16).
24:5–6. Again, components from the previous sayings are brought together; here the wise one, stronger than the fortress (21:22), and many counselors (11:14) together give advice for war (20:18). The interaction between 24:5 and 6 sets some limits on the power of the wise; to wage war, get guidance (taḥbulot) and advisors.4 The might of the wise is not solitary, nor is wisdom gained in isolation, but only through the teaching of others. The theme of strength in 24:5 does not become victory until the last line.
24:7–10. Following the glowing portrait of wisdom in 24:3–6, a series of anti-wisdom portraits of the fool, the schemer, and the weakling make related arguments. If guidance and counsel help one win a battle, the fool has none to give at the gate, where public decisions and judgments are made (24:7). Just as one can speak to cause violence and trouble, it is also possible to be silent when justice calls for a wise word. A Sumerian proverb says, “The one who knows but does not speak is a fool.”
Verses 8–9 are linked by the catchword “scheme,” bringing together the “master of schemes” (baʿal mezimmot) and the “schemes of folly” (zimmatʾiwwelet; cf. the fool of 24:7; 22:15).5 Strong language links this figure with the detested (lit., “abomination”) mocker, one who makes plans as though there were no one to call those plans to account. The one who falters in 24:10 is one who has little strength (cf. 24:5); the repetition of the root for “trouble” (ṣrr) allows for a literal translation, “You let down in the day of trouble; troubled, your strength!” This saying may be the climax to 24:1–10, but it also continues into the pair at 24:11–12. If so, then your strength has faltered when you have been called on to help others.
24:11–12. A pair of sayings call the wise to use strength in times of trouble (cf. 24:10) for those who are being led to death and are staggering (or yoked) for slaughter, rescuing them and holding them back (ḥśk; cf. 10:19; 11:24; 13:24; 17:27; 21:26; 24:11). The reason for the death march is not stated, and interpreters have suggested that these people are led astray by folly or have been unjustly accused at the gate, thus needing a voice to speak for them.6 An unusual verse of four lines again names the one who watches and repays (24:12; cf. 23:10–11). The rhetorical questions (cf. 23:29) make it clear that the first line is a falsehood; one cannot claim “we did not know” to the one who knows. There are no valid excuses for standing idle when it is possible to help. The fourth line restates a common theme, that Yahweh will pay back according to deeds. What is new here is that the threat is directed at the reader, not some wicked third party.
Trust and Hope, Not Violence or Gloating (24:13–22)
WISDOM IS COMPARED to honey, sweet and nutritious; those who eat it have a future, unlike the wicked. Four prohibitions build on this truth and warn against unwise actions and reactions.
24:13–14. A pair of sayings compare the sweet taste of honey and its nourishment to the goodness of wisdom that builds, fills, and fortifies a house (24:3, 5, 7; cf. 16:24; Ps. 19:11; 119:103; see also Prov. 5:13; 25:16, 27). Most important, the learner will “know” (cf. 24:12) that this honey of wisdom makes a future in which hope is not cut off (23:18; 24:20). Jonathan demonstrated his wisdom when he tasted honey (1 Sam. 14:24–45), Samson the opposite (Judg. 14:8–20).
24:15–16. The first of a series of four prohibitions (24:15–21) again warns against violence (cf. 24:2), particularly violence at the house or dwelling place (perhaps the house of the wise one; cf. 24:3–4). “Lying in wait” reminds readers of the violent men of 1:11 and the forbidden woman (7:12; 23:28). Both “wicked” (rašaʿ, “outlaw”) and “righteous” (ṣaddiq) are named in the first line of 24:15; verse 16 repeats the terms, contrasting their destinies the same way the individual proverbs of chapters 10–15 did. The righteous may fall, but they rise again—not like the wicked, who are brought down for good (cf. 4:19; Jer. 6:15; 8:15; 20:11).
24:17–18. However, we must not gloat over that downfall; “stumbles” uses the same Hebrew root as “brought down” in 24:16 (kšl). Yahweh, who sees and knows hearts, will find it “evil” (cf. 24:12). Since there are many proverbs on the fate of the wicked, it is strange to see this prohibition against a natural reaction. Yet the problem is the same as that of 24:15–16, for in each case, one seeks or is made glad by the misfortune of another. Yahweh would rather have us rejoice over rescues (cf. 24:11–12) and leave matters of judgment to him (see 24:19–20).
24:19–20. At first sight, this pair of sayings appears simply to repeat motifs from other parts of Proverbs, particularly 23:17–18 (cf. 24:14). But like the previous pair, it speaks to internal responses to the wicked; our reactions to their successes and failures reveal much about ourselves and our own desires. If 24:17–18 tell us not to rejoice at the misfortunes of the wicked, these tell us not to worry when they succeed. If the wicked have no future, if their lamp is put out (13:9; 20:20; cf. Isa. 43:17), why exert ourselves? Being righteous is one thing, but the next step is trusting in that ultimate judgment when life does not move in predictable ways.
24:21–22. The climax of the first “sayings of the wise” collection recommends what we have come to expect as central, “the fear of the LORD” (cf. 23:17); here it is joined with “fear . . . the king.” The reverse of this fear is not courage but foolhardy rebellion. Like the descriptions of the wicked in 24:16–17, 20, the rebels’ downfall is certain, but it comes suddenly, beyond expectation and prediction (“Who can know”; cf. “know” in 24:14). The dangers of bad association have been highlighted throughout the words of the wise (22:24–27; 23:20–21; 24:1); this final word assures us that there is no alliance that can withstand the wrath of God and king.
Diligence and Honesty, Not Partiality (24:23–34)
A NEW SECTION begins with the title, “These also are sayings of the wise.” It is distinct from the “sayings of the wise” (22:17–24:22) in what it lacks: There is no father’s address to son or any mention of Yahweh or wisdom. It does present further instruction on right judgment and a first-person moral tale in which a sage reports on a learning experience (cf. 4:3–9; 7:6–23; also Ps. 37:35–36).7 The two overlap in something like a dovetail joint.8
24:23–26. The second line of 24:23 sets the tone for the section: To pervert judgment (lit., “to recognize faces”) is “not good” (cf. Deut. 1:17; 16:19; Prov. 28:21). The image of blindfolded justice continues this ancient tradition that a case is not judged on the basis of who is involved (or what they can do for the judge). Verse 24 expands this idea: To say to “the guilty” (rašaʿ, “wicked”), “You are innocent” (ṣaddiq, “righteous”) uses the familiar pair (cf. 24:15–16) to show how judgments are returned. Those who turn in a favorable verdict will receive a bad one from peoples and nations, a euphemism for unanimous public opinion.
Following this pair of sayings on false judgment, verses 25–26 present a picture of those who judge rightly (mokiḥim is related to tokaḥat, “rebuke, correction”). For such people, it will “go well” (naʿam, “pleasing,” 22:18). On them “will come . . . rich blessings” or blessings of good (ṭob), echoing the “not good” of 24:23. Verse 26 is short and vivid: Lips that speak truth are like lips that kiss. The kiss in the ancient world communicated loyalty as well as affection. The honest answer comes from one who (lit.) “returns words that are right” (cf. cf. 22:21).9 Interpreters debate whether the legal context of 24:23–25 determines the meaning.10 The main comparison is that of doing good for another with one’s lips, a strong contrast to the deceitful lips of 24:28.
24:27–34. An extended teaching on fields and their upkeep frames a pair of prohibitions against false witness and vengeance. The proverb about work in 24:27 recommends putting first things first; before building the house of security, comfort, and rest, prepare the fields and secure an income (cf. 27:23–27). The house is a frequent metaphor for wisdom in Proverbs, especially in this chapter, for by wisdom the house is built and filled (24:3–4). It is folly, therefore, to have a house to live in but no provisions to live on.
This direct imperative to work is framed with two sayings about lips, honest and deceitful (24:26, 28). In addition, the prohibitions in 24:28–29 warn against two forms of bad speech: witnessing against one’s neighbor without cause (cf. Ex. 20:16; Deut. 5:20) and threatening to return harm when there is cause to do so.11 Perhaps the first speaks to the aggressor who hopes to take advantage of the legal system, the second to the victim. It is possible that the two are related; someone might present false testimony as a way of getting revenge. Yet the assurances of Proverbs 24:15–20 remind readers that Yahweh oversees the matters of justice and reward, forbidding any attempt to take vengeance into one’s hands (cf. 20:22; 24:12).12 Repayment only escalates, so here is perhaps the basis for Jesus’ teaching on turning the cheek and loving the enemy (Matt. 5:38–48; cf. Prov. 24:17–18; also 15:1).
The appendix to the “sayings of the wise” ends with a look at the sluggard’s neglected field (24:30–34; cf. 10:4; 20:4, 13).13 This second teaching on the work of the field (cf. 24:27) offers a first-person description of the thorns, weeds, and broken stone wall. Note the repetition in “see” (hinneh, 24:31; not trans. in NIV) and “I looked . . . I saw” (ḥzh, 24:32). Although the sluggard “lacks judgment” (lit., “heart” [leb], 24:30), the speaker takes this sight to heart and learns its “lesson” (24:32, musar, the final use of this word in Proverbs).
The wise man then repeats the proverbial saying of 6:10–11: “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a bandit, and scarcity like an armed man.”14 This time, however, the warning comes from one who has learned to look and learn, who does not need to be told, “Go to the ant, sluggard, consider its ways and be wise” (6:6; cf. 22:29). Juxtaposing this inductive lesson on vineyard keeping with teaching on righteous speaking suggests that diligence in both demonstrates wisdom and is essential for successful living. Negligence in either area exacts a high price. So Jesus calls wise those stewards who look after the house and its servants, and he calls wicked those who forget the master, beat the servants, and indulge in overeating and drinking (Matt. 24:45–50).
Bridging Contexts
THE FINAL THIRD of the “sayings of the wise” and the appendix that follows combine the concerns of the instructions (chs. 1–9) and the individual proverbs (chs. 10–22), bringing together direct teaching on the actions of the wicked with indirect teaching on the life of wisdom, symbolized in metaphors of the house and the sluggard. The sayings of this chapter teach us about envy and its antidotes, advocacy, trust, and diligence.
Envy and its antidotes. Envy afflicts us all, but it can be countered with advocacy for those in need. Verses 1–12 set out positive and negative instructions: Do not envy the wicked who prey on others, but protect and deliver the weak instead. Stand against the deeds of the wicked as you stand up for your neighbors. The symbols of home, military might, and the city gate communicate security and safety, directing the reader to wisdom where true security is found. Envy is more an attitude than an action, desiring what others seem to have and wanting to be with them or like them (24:1; cf. 24:19).
Yet attitudes lead to actions, and the attitudes of the wicked result in violent schemes (24:8–9); to envy their lives is to take on their ways and displease Yahweh (cf. 3:31–35). Could it be that we also envy the security that seems to come to the wicked? Certainly the psalmist said so, for after confessing that his feet almost slipped, he described his envy that the wicked seem to have no struggles. They are free from sicknesses, burdens, and human ills, and they increase in wealth (Ps. 73:1–5; cf. Prov. 24:12). But after entering the sanctuary, the psalmist realized that the wicked themselves are short-lived and that envy had grieved his heart (Ps. 73:17–22).15
In translating the teaching of the sages into counsel for our lives today, we must note that attitudes not only inform our actions, they circle back to work their influence on the life of the heart. In our day, we may not be troubled by the success of those who act unjustly; we usually despise politicians, executives, or accountants who betray public trust in order to swell their own pockets. But we do envy those who through talent and fame seem to live lives that do not extend beyond their own comforts and desires. Who wouldn’t want to be a highly paid model, actor, or athlete after seeing all the good things that come their way?
Perhaps we also feel cheated that these rewards go to some but not to us. Looking at what we do not have, we forget that so many have so much less. As an antidote, these sages recommended acquiring the treasures of wisdom and using them to look out for others, holding back those who are heading toward death. In our envy of those who have so much, have we neglected those who are worse off than ourselves? “Deliver them,” says the sage, for no one can claim ignorance; lack of attention is no excuse.
Envy is a power, but so is wisdom; battles are won—not on strength and weapons alone but on counsel and strategy (24:5–6). Action directed toward a wrong goal can sometimes be worse than no action at all. Therefore, we must also recognize that we need wisdom to point us in the right direction and to give us confidence that we are empowered in our movement toward good goals. The reference to power suggests that we stand against evil, speaking rightly when others speak falsely and resisting those who take what little others have in order to enrich themselves. The positive example of wisdom’s strength encourages us to speak against the wicked one, who opens his lips to speak mischief (24:2), and against the fool, who does not open his mouth when a righteous word is needed (24:7). It may even mean to speak out that our culture is going the wrong way when it promotes envy’s lies that “one can never be too rich or too thin.”
Again, this teaching sets out two paths with no foot traffic in between. We can either envy the wicked or we can take our stand against their violence. As these teachers portray it, neutrality is not an option. “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength” (24:10). In sum, we must take the counsel against envy of the wicked and use it to teach us about envy in general. Envy will either drive us toward the wicked and their indifference or toward those who need someone to speak and act on their behalf. The sages tell us to take our eyes off the prosperous and put them on those who need us.
Trusting God and king. True wisdom is a power unlike any other, for it never abuses, even as it cannot be abused. Other forms of power can be perverted, and the teachers present their warnings in 24:13–22. The lecture begins with the metaphor of nourishing honey. Just as honey is sweet to the taste, wisdom is sweet to “the soul” (or “life,” nepeš, 24:14); one who enjoys it has a future, unlike the wicked (24:16, 20). Step one, therefore, is obvious enough: Do not lie in wait against the house of the righteous, especially if that house is established by wisdom (24:3, 15), for you will fail. The righteous fall and rise, even seven times; the wicked only fall once. But when the wicked fall, step two is more challenging: Do not gloat or rejoice, and (we may infer) certainly do not work to bring it about. Why become like them? Better to trust in the work of Yahweh.
Surprisingly, the sages instruct us to practice emotional indifference to the wicked, or at least to refuse to indulge our reactions to their fortunes. If we are not to envy their rise, neither are we to be glad at their fall. Perhaps this response is important because there is an ever-present danger of becoming like them in attitude and action. If we are not to plot violence, neither are we to seek vengeance for it (24:15–18). Leave those who do violence to God and the king, and they will take care of them (24:21–22).
It is folly to attack the righteous, for they will rise; it is folly to rebel against Yahweh and the king, for they will not be overcome (cf. Ps. 2). To do so is foolish, for it is a rejection of Yahweh’s righteous rule. So the young David refused to stretch out his hand against Yahweh’s anointed, even though King Saul meant to do him harm; at most, he would only damage a corner of his garment and steal his spear (1 Sam. 24:1–13; 26:1–25). Absalom, by contrast, not only sought to kill the king; he stole the favor of the people by proclaiming their every grievance as righteous (2 Sam. 15:1–12).
Perhaps here too is the basis for Jesus’ teaching on turning the other cheek, refusing to resist an enemy (Matt. 5:39), as well as the basis for the teaching that we are to overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21). In Bible survey classes, we always have interesting discussions about the bloody Bible that glories in the conquests in Exodus and Joshua. Answers to the problem of war in the Old Testament do not come easily, but some things are clear: Murder was always distinguished from warfare, yet underneath it all is the awareness that the two are both rooted in violence. Peter Craigie put it well when he said, “Violence begets violence and nothing else.”16
If it is true that the righteous have a future and the wicked do not (a reverse of our common perceptions), then we see that both life and death are not in our keeping. Therefore we will not take vigilante action but will rather trust the larger wisdom of the community, including that of the king. The teaching of the sages assumes that the king will act rightly; if he does not, a new scenario comes into play, as is written in the history of Israel. “Do not rebel,” in this context, means do not seek to overthrow a just system for your own gain.
Every saying in 24:15–22 makes some reference to the fate of the wicked, and so we look to see what is new and expanded here, especially the surprising teaching of 24:17–18. What Yahweh will do, who can know? He will bring calamity, but he may turn from wrath. Thus, we are to learn to weep at the death of the wicked, not rejoice. God told Jonah, who “fretted” over the plant (Jon. 4:1, 4, 9; cf. Prov. 24:19), not to fret over his plan to save Nineveh. He told Ezekiel that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23). Here is a warning against vengeance and the toll it takes on our souls. If it takes wisdom to trust that the righteous will rise, it also takes wisdom to believe that the wicked will not. It is wrong to seek the harm of the righteous, but it is equally wrong to seek the harm of the wicked. Vengeance is a real desire, and, like all desires, it must submit to discipline.
Translating the principle of these teachings for our own situation, we recognize that vengeance and Schadenfreude (joy at the troubles of one’s enemy) can be the ugly mirror image of envy; both display a lack of confidence in Yahweh’s rule and overestimate our own strength. The final words of 24:22 in Hebrew, “Who can know,” set limits on even the knowledge of the wise (24:4–5). There is One who knows and weighs hearts, and that One will repay (24:12). Our role is to deliver those in need, not to punish the wicked. While some may take advantage of another, we also may make too much of our power to avenge wrongs. This teaching is an argument in support of the systems of jurisprudence, as flawed as they are, and perhaps the first steps toward an ethic of nonviolent resistance to evil. We are never to respond to evil by plotting or even hoping for evil in return (cf. 24:28–29). Our response takes root in trust.
Diligence. Finally, the sages once again use the example of the sluggard to teach diligence. The appendix to the “sayings of the wise” (24:23–34) combines direct teaching on jurisprudence with indirect teaching on laziness through the metaphor of the overgrown field. The direct teaching speaks to judges and plaintiffs alike; it is not good to show partiality in judging or to call the wicked righteous, nor is it good to bear false witness against the neighbor or to plot revenge (24:28–29). In both cases, the honest answer, the straightforward word, is like a kiss on the lips (24:26), as self-interest is set aside in favor of truth and as a wise one speaks truth instead of plotting to do wrong or repay a wrong (cf. 24:1–2, 8–9, 15–22).
It may seem strange to interweave this teaching with advice about fields and houses, but the phrase “build your house” (24:27) directs the reader to wisdom that is indispensable for the task (24:3). If the house is a symbol for acquiring wisdom in heart, mind, and practice, then right speaking in the community, a proper response to neighbors both righteous and wicked (holding back the unjust word), is like preparing the fields first or putting the most important tasks first. Perhaps this is another way of saying that the work of wisdom comes before any other work; to neglect it is to allow one’s life to become overgrown with all sorts of thorns and weeds. If it is wisdom that fills the rooms of the house (24:4), laziness invites poverty to come like a bandit (24:34), and to be poor in wisdom and heart is to be poor indeed.
The indirect teaching of the field metaphor brings home the point of 24:13–22 as well as the entire teaching of the “sayings of the wise” (22:17–24:34). Wisdom comes first, and all else follows: “Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom” (4:7). In the individual proverbs, we saw that the sluggard is like stinging vinegar and smoke to the one who hires him as a messenger (10:26). Here a sluggard is one who has not learned to take care of himself, to serve an employer, or to be a responsible member of a community. To be lazy about the matters of wisdom is to make a mess of everything else. Just as a fool heads for bed without having prepared the field and goes against the basic principles of life and survival, so fools ignore the values of wisdom and truth in word and deed and find themselves in an overgrown tangle of weeds.
Contemporary Significance
ATTITUDES. Three striking metaphors of house, honey, and field commend the life of wisdom in the face of temptations to seek other paths to the good life. The sages who passed on these teachings recognize that those who spurn wisdom or choose evil often enjoy great success and provoke our envy, and that envy may be the reason why we hope they will fall. The wise ones of old also recognize that these responses are natural, even as they counsel us to do what is unnatural—to look for those who need rescue, to forego the pleasure of revenge, and to accomplish all that through the power of right speaking. We have observed that in general, power is subject to perversion and abuse, but the power of wisdom is by definition directed to building community life, not destroying it, protecting others instead of seeking their downfall.
Whence comes violence and greed, envy and revenge, except from a feeling of emptiness and a sense of shortfall? These teachings remind us that in choosing wisdom, we acquire a home and stores aplenty, that we have food that is delicious and nourishing, and that these come with responsibility to watch over our fields and work them. If we teach against envy then, we must also teach about the house and its treasures; if we speak against vengeance, we must also speak about the rich taste of honey and its future hope; and if we speak against laziness and irresponsibility, we must speak about the blessings that come on those who are diligent to speak and judge rightly. In other words, we who preach and teach are charged to point toward the fullness and richness that so many pass by in their pursuit of vanities. Hard work indeed!
So, for example, we have said that we may or may not envy the wicked, but we certainly envy the rich and famous. In a recent television interview, the actor Michael J. Fox spoke about coming to terms with his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. He went through all the stages of grief: denying, raging, bargaining, drinking to beat depression, and finally coming to accept the limitations of his life. He said the illness shook him out of the fantasy that he lived in a world that only answered “Yes” and pushed him to confront the conflicts with friends and family that the fantasy produced. Recognizing that his powers were not unlimited, he turned his attention away from the world of accomplishment and acquisition and toward starting a foundation to keep the disease from exacting its toll on others.
Fox also identified the irony that the losses that came with the illness also brought gains of insight and maturity. Purposefully moving in his seat to minimize the involuntary motions that come with Parkinson’s, he said, “When I could not be physically still, I finally learned to become inwardly still.” If the fantasies of a powerful and acquisitive life can seduce an actor to a sense of exaggerated self-importance, we can see that it would easily tempt others to actually wish others evil or even plot violence and harm. It is better, say the sages, to steer clear of any envy of power that destroys and embrace the power that builds and establishes (24:3–4).
Power and service. A problem remains: Is not that power of wisdom a power for winning wars (24:5–6), and are not victories in war simple triumphs of the will? We have also seen that the metaphor of battle is about struggling against the naked exercise of power, a battle for the soul, and no one has understood that better than Charles Colson. Given a “second life” after being released from prison, Colson founded the Prison Fellowship ministry to work for restoration instead of recrimination in our penitentiary systems.
A few years after writing Born Again, Colson wrote a series of columns for the Prison Fellowship newsletter, calling them “my struggles to confess Christ ‘where the battle rages.’ ” He quoted Athanasius’ call to stand “contra mundum—against the world” and the words of John Wesley: “Making an open stand against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness which overspreads our land as a flood is one of the noblest ways of confessing Christ in the face of his enemies.”17 One of those columns was entitled “The Problem of Power,” warning Christians that “worldly power is not inherently evil, but it is inherently corrupting,” and adding that political idealists and religious leaders alike can become captive to maintaining political access instead of service.18 Speaking of his days in the White House, he remembered that he was especially struck by religious leaders who thundered like prophets as they rehearsed what they would tell the President, only to become quiet lambs when led into the power and prestige of the Oval Office.
The paradox, Colson later wrote, is that loving service is a form of power that stands in direct opposition to the power of the world that seeks to control. Therefore, the first step toward service and advocacy is to release the need for control. Colson cited Solzhenitsyn’s discovery that in surrendering all illusions of control of his safety and comfort in the gulag, he became free of his captive’s power. Also citing Paul, “My power is made perfect in weakness . . . when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor. 12:9–10), Colson recalled his own experience of visiting the largest prison in Peru, encouraging the Christians there, and then having access to speak to the government’s highest leaders about the prisoners. “They wanted to meet me, not because of any power or influence I had, but because of our work in the prisons. . . . Whatever authority I had in speaking to these powerful men came not from my power but from serving the powerless.”19 Colson spoke of his desire to “rescue those being led away to death,” whether they live in prisons or presidential mansions.
Thus, we come back to the goal of this little manual of public and political service, to serve those in power and those in need, and more particularly to serve both by speaking honestly. We serve when we tell the truth about ourselves, when we insist that truth be told with regard for others, and when we refuse dishonest testimony and insist that right judgments be spoken. Service to those in power must not be at the expense of the powerless. The purpose of this set of writings was stated at the start, to teach true and reliable words so that sound answers might be returned (22:21). The same truth is stated at the end: “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips” (24:26).
In the view of the sages, the basic commitment to speaking truthfully is the best way to demonstrate fear of God and king; to fail in that commitment to speak honestly is to have no foundation for anything else. If the “words of the wise” and its appendix have anything to teach us, it is that serving honestly and faithfully is hard work, that the snares and temptations are always before us, and that they are often hidden under the camouflage of seeking what appears to be good. It is natural to act out of greed, envy, or a desire for vengeance, for it appears that we only want what is good. However, we will be surprised to learn that faithful service is the path toward what is good, even as we learn that it is in giving that we receive.