Proverbs 24:30

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; Folly of the sluggard....

Verse Proverbs 24:30. _I WENT BY THE FIELD OF THE SLOTHFUL_] This is a most instructive _parable_; is exemplified every day in a variety of forms; and is powerfully descriptive of the _state_ of many a _blackslider_ and _trifler_ in religion. _Calmet_ has an excellent note on this passage. I shall give the substance of it. Solomon often recommends diligence and economy to his disciples. In those primitive times when agriculture was honourable, no man was respected who neglected to cultivate his grounds, who sunk into poverty, contracted debt, or engaged in ruinous securities. With great propriety, a principal part of _wisdom_ was considered by them as consisting in the _knowledge_ of properly _conducting one's_ _domestic affairs_, and duly cultivating the inheritances derived from their ancestors. Moses had made a law to

The chapter ends with an apologue, which may be taken as a parable of something yet deeper. The field and the vineyard are more than the man’s earthly possessions. His neglect brings barrenness or desolation to the garden of the soul. The “thorns” are evil habits that choke the good seed, and the “nettles” are those that are actually hurtful and offensive to others. The “wall” is the defense which laws and rules give to the inward life, and which the sluggard learns to disregard, and the “poverty” is the loss of the true riches of the soul, tranquility, and peace, and righteousness....

EXPOSITION PROVERBS 24:1 We return here to the more usual form, the tetrastich. BE NOT THOU ENVIOUS AGAINST EVIL MEN (see on Proverbs 23:17, where a similar warning is given, and comp. Proverbs 23:19 below). "Men of wickedness," wholly given over to evil. NEITHER DESIRE TO BE WITH THEM. Their company is pollution, and association with them makes you a partner in their sinful doings. The Septuagint prefaces the paragraph with the personal address, υἱέ_ _"son." PROVERBS 24:2 For their heart studie

I WENT BY THE FIELD OF THE SLOTHFUL,.... This very probably was a real matter of fact; King Solomon's way lay at a certain time by the field of a slothful man, who never went into it himself, there being a lion in the way; and which he took no care of to manure and till, to plough and sow, but let it lie waste and uncultivated; an emblem of a carnal and worldly professor, and especially an unregenerate man, neglecting the affairs of his soul, his heart remaining like the fallow field unopened and unbroken, hard, obdurate, and impenitent; nothing sown in it, no seed of grace; nor has the seed of the word any place in it, but falling on it lies like seed by the wayside, caught up by every bird; AND BY THE VINEYARD OF THE MAN VOID OF UNDERSTANDING; as the slothful man is, that takes no care to plant and dress it, that it may bring forth fruit to his own profit and advantage; and as every u...

CHAPTER 24 INSTRUCTIONS CONTINUED In the final instructions of this chapter we find first a description of the evil men. Their heart studieth destruction; their lips talk mischief. This theme is repeatedly referred to in this chapter. In Proverbs 24:15 the evil man is addressed not to lay wait for the righteous and not to spoil his resting place. The Lord takes care of the righteous; he may be overcome by misfortunes seven times, yet will he rise again. Different it is with the wicked when he falls into mischief. Yet there must be no rejoicing over the fall of the enemy, nor gladness when he stumbled. This displeaseth the Lord. Still higher is the command of the New Testament, “Love your enemies; ... recompense no man evil for evil; ... overcome evil with good.” There is to be no fretting because of evil men nor envy ...

SECOND DIVISION, PROVERBS 24:23. This section constitutes the second division of the Sayings of the Wise, as Proverbs 24:23 a indicates. It contains a short collection of sayings varying in form and character, resembling in the main those of Proverbs 22:17 to Proverbs 24:22. The greater part (Proverbs 24:30) is a vivid description of the effects of slothfulness, which may be compared with the passage on the drunkard in Proverbs 23:29

The Sluggard's Vineyard. Comp. Proverbs 6:6-11, and notes....

DISCOURSE: 808 THE SLUGGARD’S VINEYARD Proverbs 24:30. _I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding: and, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep; so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man_. IF we have an observant eye, and a mind open to receive instruction, there is not any thing in the creation which may not afford us some useful lessons. We may learn as much from what we see, as what we hear: and as much from what is evil, as from what is good. Indeed it is a mark of true wisdom to exact a tribute, as it were, from every thing which comes wit

TEXT Proverbs 24:23-34 23. These also are sayings of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good. 24. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous, Peoples shall curse him, nations shall abhor him; 25. But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, And a good blessing shall come upon them. 26. He kisseth the lips Who giveth a right answer. 27. Prepare thy work without, And make it ready for thee in the field; And afterwards build thy house. 28. Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause; And deceive not with thy lips. 29. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work. 30. I went by the field of the sluggard, And by the vineyard of the man void of unders