Proverbs 24:31 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.

NIV: thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.

NASB: And behold, it was completely overgrown with weeds; Its surface was covered with weeds, And its stone wall was broken down.

CSB: Thistles had come up everywhere, weeds covered the ground, and the stone wall was ruined.

NLT: I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down.

KJV: And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

NKJV: And there it was, all overgrown with thorns; Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down.

This begins a detailed description of what Solomon saw, in passing (Proverbs 24:30), that made him realize a vineyard was owned by a lazy person. What he notices are not evidence of hardship, or bad luck, or even inexperience. Rather, they are signs of someone who simply fails to do what needs to be done.

Among the flaws seen are a lack of gardening. For a property meant to grow plants, this is especially dangerous. A person not removing weeds is one not tending to the welfare of the good plants. It's possible Solomon saw a field entirely overrun with weeds—one with no good crops at all. Furthermore, the stone wall meant to protect the field from thieves and scavengers was in disarray. This, too, seems to have been due to neglect, and not an enemy attack.

Every gardener or farmer knows plants need constant attention and work. When God placed a curse on the ground when Adam and Eve sinned, He said: "Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field" (Genesis 3:17–18). Perhaps the prodigal son was too lazy to stay home on the farm and work the soil. Apparently, he craved a soft life, but he was foolish to leave home and waste his money on wayward living. Eventually, he recognized he had made an immature mistake (Luke 15:11–32).

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.