Proverbs 24:8

Pro 24:8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

Ver. 8. Shall be called a mischievous person.] Heb., A master of sinful musings, an artist at any evil. Josephus saith of Antipater, that his course of life might fitly be called a mystery of mischief, {a} quae altissimas egerat radices, &c.

{a} κακιας μυστηριον.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pro 24:8-9. He that deviseth, &c., shall be called mischievous — Hebrew, בעל מזמות, a master of crafts or mischiefs. Though he cover his wicked devices with fair pretences, and wishes to be better esteemed, he shall be branded with that infamy which is due to him. The thought of foolishness is sin — The very inward thought or contrivance of evil, of which he spake Pro 24:8, even before it break forth into action, is a sin in God’s sight, and is hateful to God; and the scorner — He who not only deviseth and practiseth wickedness, but obstinately persists in it, and rejects all admonitions against it; is an abomination to men — Is abominable not only to God, as all sinners are, but to all sober men.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24:8-9 Saying 23: Fools are alienated from the community because of their evil actions.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

So called even if he fails to do evil.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

8. shall be called] Lit. they (men) shall call him. However secretly he works (comp. Psa_64:6 [Hebrews 7]), his true character shall be found out, and his reputation shall accord with it.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The thoughts of foolishness is sin,.... The thought of sin is sin (e), before it comes into action; the motions of sin in the mind, the workings of corrupt nature in the heart, the sinful desires of the flesh and of the mind: these are forbidden and condemned by the law of God as sin, which says, "Thou shall not covet", Exo 20:17, and stand in need of pardoning grace and mercy; see Rom 7:5. Or, "the thoughts of a foolish man are sin" (f); that is, of a wicked man; in all whose thoughts God is not, but sin is; the imagination of the thoughts of his heart is evil, and that continually; he thinks of nothing else but sin, Gen 6:5;

and the scorner is an abomination to men; who not only thinks ill of divine things, and despises them in his heart, which is only known to God; but scoffs at them with his lips, makes a jest of all that is good, derides religion and religious men; and to such he is an abomination: and indeed one that is proud and haughty, scorner is his name, and that deals in proud wrath, and scorns all around him, in whatsoever company he comes, and that ridicules every person, and every thing that is said in conversation, is usually hated and abhorred by all sorts of men.

(e) "Nam scelus intra se tacitum qui cogitat ullum, facti crimen habet", Juvenal. Satyr. 13. v. 209, 210. (f) "stulti", Pagninus, Junius & Tremellius, Mercerus, Piscator, Gejerus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Heb. a master of mischief. The sense is, Though he cover his wicked devices with fair pretences, and would be better esteemed, yet he shall be noted and branded with that infamy which is due to him.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8. He that deviseth to do evil — A master of mischief. “Mischief and wrong are his ownership and property.” — Wordsworth. “Inventors of evil things.” Rom_1:30. The inventor or discoverer of a good thing is a benefactor of the race; but he who spends his time in inventing that which will injure his fellow man is the greatest of curses — a fiend incarnate. The same is true of those who follow, though they may not invent, a business or calling which is destructive to the health, life, and morals of their fellow beings. Such is the manufacture and traffic in intoxicating drinks, the making and vending of obscene literature, etc.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He that deviseth to do evil. He who shows a certain kind of misapplied cleverness (in contrast to the true wisdom) in planning and pursuing evil schemes. Shall be called. Defined and explained, as Pro_16:21. (comp. Pro_21:24) A mischievous person; literally, lord of mischief; i.e. owner, possessor of mischief. One must not be led by such a man"s apparent astuteness to attribute; to him wisdom; he is an impostor, a mere intriguer, who is sure to be exposed ere long. Septuagint, "Death befalls the undisciplined."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Shall be called - Though he cover his wicked devices with fair pretenses, he shall be branded with that infamy which is due to him.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

From wisdom, which is a moral good, the following proverb passes over to a kind of σοφία δαιμονιώδης:

He that meditateth to do evil,

We call such an one an intriguer.

A verbal explanation and definition like Pro 21:24 (cf. p. 29), formed like Pro 16:21 from נבון. Instead of בּעל־מזמּות [lord of mischief] in Pro 12:2, the expression is 'אישׁ מ (cf. at Pro 22:24). Regarding מזמות in its usual sense, vid., Pro 5:2. Such definitions have of course no lexicographical, but only a moral aim. That which is here given is designed to warn one against gaining for himself this ambiguous title of a refined (cunning, versutus) man; one is so named whose schemes and endeavours are directed to the doing of evil. One may also inversely find the turning-point of the warning in 8b: "he who projects deceitful plans against the welfare of others, finds his punishment in this, that he falls under public condemnation as a worthless intriguer" (Elster). But מזמות is a ῥῆμα μέσον, vid., Pro 5:2; the title is thus equivocal, and the turning-point lies in the bringing out of his kernel: מחשּׁב להרע = meditating to do evil.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

What a picture is here of human depravity, in its active working, its corrupt fountain, and its fearful end! Talent, imagination, active mind, is so debased, as to be all concentrated upon Satan’s own work — devising to do evil.†1 He was the first deviser (Gen 3:1 ), and he practices his children, till he makes them, like himself, masters of mischief; contriving new modes of sinning, ways of trickery and deceit; like the degraded heathen, "inventors of evil things." (Rom 1:30 .) To do evil is the principle; devising to do evil is the energy, of his service. In this craft of evil, Balaam was a mischievous person.†2 Abimelech has earned for himself the same reputation. (Jdg 9:1-55 .) Jeroboam’s subtle mischief has stamped his name with the black mark of reprobation — "who made Israel to sin."†3 Jezebel,†4 and others of less note, equally industrious in evil, will appear in the same ranks at the great day.

Even when it is not brought out into action, the thought of foolishness — giving it lodgment (Jer 4:14 ), instead of casting it out as loathsome — is sin. ’But what guilt’ — it is asked — ’can there be in a thought? It is but an airy notion; next to nothing. It can make no impression. A malicious thought cannot hurt. A covetous thought cannot rob. What guilt or danger can belong to so minute a being?’ Perhaps did we deal with man, these might be trifling evils. But as the thought is the fountain of the act, God counts it in the act, and holds us responsible for it.†5 The smallest sin involves us in the breach of the whole law. (Jas 2:10-11 .) This is his decision; and who can answer against it? The most spiritual Christians lay their hands upon their mouths, "and their mouths in the dust."†6

The awakened sinner admits his total depravity upon the same demonstration as his own existence — consciousness. One sin gives birth to another. Countless multitudes follow in rapid and continuous succession. "Every imagination of the thoughts of the heart is only evil continually." (Gen 6:5 .) Did we fully realize this apprehension, the flitting moments of the day, each bringing with it an increase of guilt, could not slide away so pleasantly from us; not at least without shame and humiliation; without habitual application of the divine remedy. Job’s sensitive conscience carried his sons continually to the atoning sacrifice. (Job 1:5 .) Bunyan (unlike many loose professors, who are never troubled about their thoughts) was deeply afflicted in the remembrance of one sinful thought. Nor let this be condemned as a morbid temperament. Is it not rather the tender sensibility of a heart humbled by the continual view of the great sin-offering? Our sensibilities rise in proportion to our spiritual apprehensions. Even a passing shade of sin, did we suitably realize it — it might well be a matter of poignant bitterness. A believing sorrow for heart-sins — however involuntary — is a clear mark of divine grace and teaching: issuing in deep humiliation, not with despondency. (Rom 7:15-25 .)

But let us follow out this thought of foolishness unrestrained. It commits an immensity of folly. The thinking faculty is never wearied out. It is the fruitful principle of sin, which, ’the more it is committed’ (as it has been no less truly than philosophically remarked), ’the more it acquireth in the quality of evil.’†7 The thought therefore gathers strength in every acting, till its full influence is developed in the "scorner’s seat" (Psa 1:1 ) — an abomination, not only to God, but to man.†8 For however misused wit and talent may gain for the fool a bad pre-eminence; he secures no respect, and is generally avoided or dreaded, and ultimately brought to shame.†9

Footnotes:

†1 Pro 24:2. Psa 36:3-4 .

†2 Num 31:16. Rev 2:14 .

†3 1Ki 12:26-33 ; 1Ki 15:30 .

†4 1Ki 21:25 . Rev 2:20 .

†5 Compare Pro 15:26 . Psa 94:11 . Mat 9:3-4 ; Mat 15:19 . Act 8:22 . Rom 2:15 .

Even an Heathen moralist could write —

Nam scelus intra se tacitum qui cogitat ullum,

Facti crimen habet. — Juv. xiii. 209, 210.

†6 Pro 30:32. Job 40:4 . Lam 3:29 .

†7 Sir T. Browne, Rel. Med. p. 101. Edit. 1642.

†8 Pro 21:24. Mal 2:8-9 .

†9 Jer 36:23, with Jer 22:19 .

Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

v. 8. He that deviseth to do evil, with whom mischief and wrong is self-evident, who is the master of wickedness, shall be called a mischievous person, his evil reputation will soon be well established.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

These verses continue the "thirty sayings" (Proverbs 22:20).

a master of schemes

one who is skillful at making evil plans. AT: "a mischievous person" or "a troublemaker"

translationWords

evil

lord

fool

sin

mock

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

He who plots to do evil He plans strategies of wickedness.

is called a man of wicked designs He brings harm to himself, for people call him a man of wicked designs, a counsel of the wicked.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.