Amsal 24:17-20

24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, ¹ 

and when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice,

24:18 lest the Lord see it, and be displeased, ² 

and turn his wrath away from him. ³ 

24:19 Do not fret because of evil people

or be envious of wicked people,

24:20 for the evil person has no future, ⁴ 

and the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished. ⁵ 

[24:17]  ¹ sn The saying (vv. 17, 18) warns against gloating over the misfortune of one’s enemies. The prohibition is formed with two negated jussives “do not rejoice” and “let not be glad,” the second qualified by “your heart” as the subject, signifying the inner satisfaction of such a defeat.

[24:18]  ² tn Heb “and [it is] evil in his eyes.”

[24:18]  ³ sn The judgment of God should strike a note of fear in the heart of people (e.g., Lev 19:17-18). His judgment is not to be taken lightly, or personalized as a victory. If that were to happen, then the Lord might take pity on the enemies in their calamity, for he champions the downtrodden and defeated. These are probably personal enemies; the imprecatory psalms and the prophetic oracles present a different set of circumstances for the downfall of God’s enemies – even the book of Proverbs says that brings joy to the community.

[24:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “there is no end [i.e., future] for the evil.”

[24:20]  ⁵ sn The saying warns against envying the wicked; v. 19 provides the instruction, and v. 20 the motivation. The motivation is that there is no future hope for them – nothing to envy, or as C. H. Toy explains, there will be no good outcome for their lives (Proverbs [ICC], 449). They will die suddenly, as the implied comparison with the lamp being snuffed out signifies.