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Proverbs 24:17

Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

World English Bible · Public Domain

Parallel Translations

  • WEB World English Bible

    Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown,

  • KJV King James Version

    Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

  • JPS JPS Tanakh (1917)

    Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbleth;

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Examined in Scripture Analysis

Contradictions (1)

Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.

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Cross-references (9)

Passages linked to Proverbs 24:17 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.

  • Obadiah 1:12 But don’t look down on your brother in the day of his disaster, and don’t rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction. Don’t speak proudly in the day of distress.
  • Job 31:29 “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him
  • Proverbs 17:5 Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
  • 1 Corinthians 13:6-7 doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
  • 2 Samuel 16:5-14 When king David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of Saul’s house came out, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out and cursed as he came. He cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. Shimei said when he cursed, “Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and wicked fellow! Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of Saul’s house, in whose place you have reigned! Yahweh has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son! Behold, you are caught by your own mischief, because you are a man of blood!” Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.” The king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Because he curses, and because Yahweh has said to him, ‘Curse David;’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’ ” David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, “Behold, my son, who came out of my bowels, seeks my life. How much more this Benjamite, now? Leave him alone, and let him curse; for Yahweh has invited him. It may be that Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh will repay me good for the cursing of me today.” So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him, and cursed as he went, threw stones at him, and threw dust. The king, and all the people who were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.
  • Psalms 35:15 But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.
  • Psalms 35:19 Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.
  • Psalms 42:10 As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”
  • Judges 16:25 When their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson, that he may entertain us.” They called for Samson out of the prison; and he performed before them. They set him between the pillars;

Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)

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Explain this verse (16 sources)

Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.

John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Pro 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and…

Pro 24:17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

Ver. 17. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth.] If thou dost, it is a sure sign of devilish hatred - επιχαιρεκακια being the devil’s disease - what goodwill, innocence, or ignoscency soever thou makest show of. Job cleareth himself of this fault, {Job 31:24} and so doth David notably. {Psa 35:13-14} See his practice. {2Sa 1:11-12} Caesar wept when Pompey’s head was presented to him, and said, Victoriam volui, non vindictam. {See Trapp on "Mat 5:44"} {See Trapp on "Rom 12:19"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Falleth, to wit, into mischief, as in the former…
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain Here, 1. The pleasure we are apt to take…
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him,....…
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Falleth - Into mischief.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 17. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, (into…
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Pro 24:17-18. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth —…
Charles Bridges 1846 · Public Domain Yet did the chosen people of God rejoice with…
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Yet let none rejoice over the fate of evildoers,…
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 17, 18. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth —…
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Vers. 17, 18. A warning against vindictiveness, nearly approaching…
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain Pro_24:20. Reward. The same word used in Pro_24:14, and…
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain v. 17. Rejoice not, in malignant joy, when thine…
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 General Information:
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 24:17-18 Saying 28: This saying leads to Jesus’ call…

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