What does Proverbs 24:8 mean?

This lesson uses the Hebrew phrase ba'al mezimmot' to refer to a "schemer." This literally means something like "master of plots" or "owner of evil plans" or "deviser of wickedness." A word derived from the same root word is used in the following verse to explicitly call such things a sin (Proverbs 24:9). Similar terms are used in other proverbs (Proverbs 12:2; 14:17). This is not only a reference to sin, but also a note about reputation. Eventually, liars and schemers are found out. They become known as unreliable and crooked; others openly call them by such terms.

The book of Romans points out those who ignore God's revelation in human experience (Romans 1:18–20). They are labelled "inventors of evil" (Romans 1:30) as well as "foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless" (Romans 1:31). Scripture often warns about such persons (Proverbs 6:14; 14:22).

Haman the Agagite is often mentioned as an example of the fate of "schemers." Esther 8:3 indicts him with the evil of devising a plot against the Jews. He conspired to destroy all the Jews in Persia (Esther 8:5). However, God protected the Jews and overturned Haman's wicked plot. Eventually, the king "gave orders in writing that [Haman's] evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows" (Esther 9:25).