Proverbs 24:15 · Bible study
Proverbs 24:15 Commentary: Warning Against Ambushing the Righteous
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Proverbs 24:15's warning against plotting against the righteous, connecting to God's promise of restoration and the wicked's downfall.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A direct warning to the wicked not to plot against the righteous, with the assurance that the righteous will ultimately be restored.
- Key words: ארב (lie in wait), שׁדד (devastate), נוה (dwelling), רבץ (resting-place).
- Main debate: Whether the “seven falls” refer to sin or to calamities; most modern commentators favour calamity.
- Theological theme: God's sovereign protection over the righteous amidst opposition.
- Best use: To reassure believers that their security rests in God, not in the absence of trouble.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place;
KJV King James Version 1769
Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous; Destroy not his resting-place:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Lay not wait, O wicked one, At the habitation of the righteous. Do not spoil his resting-place.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Lay not wait, O wicked [man], against the dwelling of the righteous; lay not waste his resting-place.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Lie not in wait, nor seek after wickedness in the house of the just, nor spoil his rest.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Oh impío, no aceches la tienda del justo, no saquees su cámara;
Tu, perverso, não espies a habitação do justo, nem assoles seu quarto;
Ne tends pas méchamment des embûches à la demeure du juste,
Laure nicht als Gottloser auf das Haus des Gerechten; verstöre seine Ruhe nicht.
Loer niet, o goddeloze! op de woning des rechtvaardigen; verwoest zijn legerplaats niet.
O empio, non tendere insidie alla dimora del giusto! non devastare il luogo ove riposa!
Nie czyń zasadzki, niezbożniku! na przybytek sprawiedliwego, a nie przeszkadzaj odpocznieniu jego.
Не злоумышляй, нечестивый, против жилища праведника, не опустошай места покоя его,
你這惡人，不要 埋伏攻擊 義人 的家；不要 毀壞 他安居之所。
Do not keep a secret watch, O evil-doer, against the fields of the upright man, or send destruction on his resting-place:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 24:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators uniformly read this verse as a warning to the wicked not to scheme against the righteous, with the underlying reassurance that such attacks will fail. Barnes notes' the teaching of the proverb warns men not to attack or plot against the righteous. They will lose their labour.' The Hebrew uses the negative particle אַל with verbs of ambush (ארב) and devastation (שׁדד), forbidding hostile acts against the righteous man's dwelling and resting-place. Matthew Henry calls the verse' spoken in defiance of them, for the encouragement of good people'. Keil and Delitzsch stress that the warning targets coveting the house and driving the owner out by cunning or violence, a real threat in ancient Israel. The consensus is clear: the wicked's scheme is doomed because the righteous are under God's care, and v.16 immediately supplies the reason, the righteous fall only to rise again, while the wicked are overthrown by calamity. JFB summarises' the plots of the wicked... though partially, shall not be fully successful.'
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Falls into sin: Matthew Henry's suggestion that the righteous man may fall into sin through infirmity but rises by repentance.
- Falls into calamity: Barnes and most modern commentators, who read 'falls' as trouble or adversity, supported by the parallel of the wicked being 'overthrown by calamity' (v.16b).
What is clear: God's care for the righteous is certain, and the wicked's schemes will ultimately fail.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the righteous man's fall | The righteous person experiences repeated setbacks. | Some interpret these as falls into sin (Matthew Henry allows both), while others see them as calamities or misfortunes (Barnes, Keil). |
| Meaning of 'seven times' | Seven indicates completeness or many recurrent setbacks. | Whether this is hyperbole for 'many times' (Barnes) or carries a symbolic weight of divine completeness. |
| Target of the warning | The warning addresses the wicked directly as individuals. | Some translations render 'as a wicked man' (appositionally), making it a precept rather than a direct address (Keil notes this reading but prefers the vocative). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Proverbs 24:15 sits within a section warning against envy of evil men (vv.1, 2) and urging the pursuit of wisdom (vv.13, 14). Verse 11, 12 calls readers to rescue those being taken to death, reminding them that God weighs hearts and requites each person. Against this backdrop, the speaker addresses the wicked directly, naming him רָשָׁע, the person hostile to God and neighbour.
The imagery is pastoral: the righteous man's dwelling (נוה) and resting-place (רבץ) are terms used for a sheepfold or shepherd's lodging (Cambridge Bible notes' pasture... fold'). Gill connects the verse to Saul's attempt to watch David's house and kill him (1 Samuel 19:11). Lying in wait (ארב) is a tactic of the violent in Psalms 10:8 and 37:32, where the wicked lurk to murder the innocent. Destroying a home was a grave crime in a society where a man's house was his sanctuary and inheritance. The warning thus addresses real threats of dispossession, plunder and violence.
Literarily, the verse contrasts with the promise that follows in v.16: the righteous may fall seven times but rise again. The number seven indicates completeness; even repeated calamity cannot undo them. The wicked, by contrast, are overthrown by a single blow. This forms part of wisdom's core claim: righteousness leads to life, while wickedness leads to ruin.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants that alter the sense of the verse. Keil mentions that Symmachus and Jerome read רשׁע (wickedness) as an abstract instead of the vocative 'wicked man', but this interpretation is not supported by the Hebrew manuscripts and produces a less coherent reading. The traditional vocalization רשׁע as a direct address is secure.
Reception History
In the early church, Proverbs 24:15 was often cited to encourage believers facing persecution, the wicked attack the righteous, but God preserves his own. Medieval Jewish commentators like Rashi linked the verse to the fate of the righteous in the world to come. During the Reformation, both Luther and Calvin saw it as a promise of God's preservation of the elect, a theme echoed by Puritan expositors such as Matthew Henry, who used it to comfort those under malicious attack. In modern preaching, the verse is frequently applied to situations of social injustice, reminding oppressors that their schemes are futile and that God vindicates the vulnerable.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Wicked's Tactics: The wicked lie in wait and devastate, verbs of stealth and violence. They target not just the person but his home and security.
- The Wicked's Target: The righteous man (צדיק) and his dwelling. The wicked covet what belongs to the one who walks in God's ways.
- The Wicked's Failure: The righteous rise after falling; the wicked fall permanently. The attack is self-destructive.
Five-point outline
- The Warning: Do not plot against the righteous (v.15a).
- The Target: The dwelling and resting-place of the righteous (v.15b).
- The Reason: The righteous fall and rise (v.16a).
- The Contrast: The wicked are overthrown by calamity (v.16b).
- The Application: Trust God's protection; reject envy and violence.
Illustration hooks
- A neighbourhood dispute where someone tries to force a family out of their home through legal harassment or intimidation.
- A workplace situation where a colleague spreads lies to get another fired or demoted, only to later see the victim restored while the schemer loses credibility.
- Personal experience of praying through a season of unfair treatment, and seeing God provide a way through the crisis.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God promises to protect the righteous, why do we still suffer attacks and losses?
- Should we defend ourselves against the wicked, or just trust God to handle it?
- How do we handle the temptation to envy the wicked when they seem to prosper?
Leading a Discussion
This verse confronts the age-old reality of oppression and God's commitment to uphold the righteous. It does not promise a trouble-free life but guarantees that falling is not the final word. Read Proverbs 24:15, 16 together. Think about times when you have felt targeted or watched by someone who wished you harm.
Discussion questions
- What does the word “dwelling” or “resting-place” suggest about the scope of the attack? Why focus on the home?
- How does the direct address “O wicked man” affect the tone of the warning? What response does it invite from the hearer?
- Verse 15 is followed by a reason in v.16. What does this reason reveal about God's character and his care for the righteous?
- The righteous falls and rises again. How does this shape our understanding of perseverance in faith when adversity hits?
- In what ways might we be tempted to “lie in wait” against others, not physically, but through words, attitudes, or actions?
- How can this passage encourage someone who has been unjustly treated by a boss, neighbour, or even another Christian?
- What does this passage teach us about where true security lies, in our homes or in God's keeping?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 9:11 | As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?” |
| I Samuel 22:18 | The king said to Doeg, “Turn and attack the priests!” Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod. |
| I Samuel 22:19 | He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword—both men and women, children and nursing babies, and cattle, donkeys, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. |
| I Samuel 23:20 | Now therefore, O king, come down. According to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.” |
| I Samuel 23:23 | See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself; and come again to me with certainty, and I will go with you. It shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” |
| Psalms 10:8 | He lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless. |
| Psalms 10:10 | The helpless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength. |
| Psalms 37:32 | The wicked watch the righteous, and seek to kill him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that a righteous person lives where honesty and fairness guide their actions. They return what belongs to others as God commands. This way of living brings peace and trust.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that when the righteous fall, it is into calamities, not sin, and the point is God’s providential care in raising them up. The “seven times” uses a definite number for an indefinite one, while the wicked fall completely in a single trouble.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges compares the life of a wicked person to a sheep that stays in its own dirty pasture instead of going to a clean one. This image shows how the wicked refuse to leave their sinful ways.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes points out that the command forbids harming the home of the righteous person. It warns that attacking such a person’s place of rest is wrong.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that waiting at a righteous person’s home to spy on them or harm them is like wolves attacking sheep. He says such people destroy the peaceful place where the righteous rest.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws a sharp contrast: the wicked may partially succeed in their plots against the good, but never fully. Meanwhile, the wicked themselves fall into penal evil and find no help.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that the warning forbids coveting the righteous person's home and using cunning or violence to drive him out, not directly attacking his person. Addressing the plotter as "wicked man" names the sin sharply. The righteous may fall often but always rises; the wicked, once calamity strikes, stay down permanently.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry presents this warning not as advice the wicked will accept but as a defiant promise for the righteous. The just person may fall seven times into trouble or even sin, yet rises again through God's blessing and repentance, while the wicked who plotted his ruin end up destroyed themselves.