Proverbs 24:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Do not say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done."

NIV: Do not say, "I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did."

NASB: Do not say, 'I shall do the same to him as he has done to me; I will repay the person according to his work.'

CSB: Don’t say, "I’ll do to him what he did to me; I’ll repay the man for what he has done."

NLT: And don’t say, 'Now I can pay them back for what they’ve done to me! I’ll get even with them!'

KJV: Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

NKJV: Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”

A common modern English phrase is, "I don't get mad. I just get even." The first part of that adage seems biblical (Psalm 37:8–9; Proverbs 16:32; Colossians 3:8), but the second is entirely wrong. One attempts to "settle the score" by hurting another. That person strikes back, as they see it, to also "make things even." The first party disagrees and thinks this requires more, and more extreme measures. Neither ever agrees justice has been reached, so the cycle never concludes easily. Petty offenses turn into feuds and insults lead to open war. Romans 12:17 commands: "Repay no one evil for evil." Hebrews 10:30 reminds us again that vengeance belongs to the Lord. When a believer believes someone has wronged him, he should resist the temptation to hurt that person (Proverbs 20:22). Instead, he should trust the Lord to do the right thing.

Another reason to avoid taking revenge is that God is much better at it than we are. Paul's admonition about vengeance in Romans suggests one ought to "leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord'" (Romans 12:19). Paul cites Deuteronomy 32:35 where God takes on the role of an avenger. Psalm 94:1 also refers to the Lord as "God of vengeance." Whatever we think we might accomplish by our feeble efforts, the best response to sin and insults is to let the God of the universe make things right.

Proverbs 24:23–34 comes after a list of thirty wise teachings; these were recorded by Solomon while not necessarily being his own ideas. The wisdom which concludes this chapter is cited with less clarity, other than being attributed to wise speakers. These address discrimination, rebuke of the wicked, honesty, wise planning, revenge, and the consequences of laziness.

Solomon continues to list wise sayings (Proverbs 22:17–21), rounding out his promised list of thirty teachings. These endorse integrity, accepting good advice, reputation, and ethical actions. The lessons also stress godly attitudes about vengeance, bitterness, and companionship. After verse 23 come additional proverbs. These may or may not have been Solomon's own words, but at least some appear to be his thoughts. Key points in these verses are the need for impartiality in judgment, godly reputation, and work ethic.

This chapter continues thirty sayings of wise people (Proverbs 22:17–21), as collected and endorsed by Solomon. The remainder of the passage are additional wise statements, which are not as clearly attributed. Some of the lessons are framed as warnings, followed by reasons. The lessons contained here are more detailed than most of the proverbs in this book.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.