Proverbs 24:9

The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) The thought of foolishness is sin.—Rather, Sin is the contrivance (plotting) of self-will. Sin is the “transgression of the law” of God (1John 3:4), when we desert the plain rule of duty, and plot how we can indulge our own self-will.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

24:1,2 Envy not sinners. And let not a desire ever come into thy mind, Oh that I could shake off restraints! 3-6. Piety and prudence in outward affairs, both go together to complete a wise man. By knowledge the soul is filled with the graces and comforts of the spirit, those precious and pleasant riches. The spirit is strengthened for the spiritual work and the spiritual warfare, by true wisdom. 7-9. A weak man thinks wisdom is too high for him, therefore he will take no pains for it. It is bad to do evil, but worse to devise it. Even the first risings of sin in the heart are sin, and must be repented of. Those that strive to make others hateful, make themselves so. 10. Under troubles we are apt to despair of relief. But be of good courage, and God shall strengthen thy heart. 11,12. If a man know that his neighbour is in danger by any unjust proceeding, he is bound to do all in his power to deliver him. And what is it to suffer immortal souls to perish, when our persuasions and example may be the means of preventing it? 13,14. We are quickened to the study of wisdom by considering both the pleasure and the profit of it. All men relish things that are sweet to the palate; but many have no relish for the things that are sweet to the purified soul, and that make us wise unto salvation. 15,16. The sincere soul falls as a traveller may do, by stumbling at some stone in his path; but gets up, and goes on his way with more care and speed. This is rather to be understood of falls into affliction, than falls into actual sin.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In the gate - Compare the Proverbs 22:22 note.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

9. Same thought varied.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

The thought of foolishness is sin; the very inward thought or contrivance of evil, of which he spake Proverbs 24:8, even before it break forth into action, it is a sin in God’s sight, and it is hateful to God. Or

foolishness is put for foolish or wicked men, by comparing this with the next clause where the scorner is opposed to it. So the sense is, All the thoughts of wicked men are only evil, and that continually, as is said of man in his corrupt estate, Genesis 6:5, and therefore abominable to God.

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.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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", Exodus 20:17, and stand in need of pardoning grace and mercy; see Romans 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, Genesis 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.

Geneva Study Bible

The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. foolishness] i.e. fools: abstract for concrete.

and] “Or, but the scorner. Perhaps the meaning is that the very purpose of evil is sinful in the sight of God; but the bold and insolent transgressor is not only offensive to God but odious to men.” Rel. Tr. Soc. Commentary.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 9. - The thought of foolishness is sin. "Sin" is the subject in this clause as "the scorner" is in the next; and what it says is that sin is the exeogitation, the contriving of folly. The stoner is the real fool, m that he does not pursue his proper end, prepares misery for himself, is blind to his best interests. The connection between sin and folly, as between wisdom and righteousness, is continually enforced throughout the book. The scorner is an abomination to men. The man who scoffs at religion and every high aim is an object of abomination to the pious, and is also a cause of evil to others, leading them to thoughts and acts which are hateful in the eyes of God. Septuagint, "The fool dieth in sins (John 8:24), and uncleanness belongeth to a pestilent man." The text here followed, as in other passages of this chapter, is quite different from the received one. Proverbs 24:9

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

This proverb is connected by זמת with Proverbs 24:8, and by אויל with Proverbs 24:7; it places the fool and the mocker over against one another.

The undertaking of folly is sin;

And an abomination to men is the scorner.

Since it is certain that for 9b the subject is "the scorner," so also "sin" is to be regarded as the subject of 9a. The special meaning flagitium, as Proverbs 21:27, זמּה will then not have here, but it derives it from the root-idea "to contrive, imagine," and signifies first only the collection and forthputting of the thoughts towards a definite end (Job 17:11), particularly the refined preparation, the contrivance of a sinful act. In a similar way we speak of a sinful beginning or undertaking. But if one regards sin in itself, or in its consequences, it is always a contrivance or desire of folly (gen. subjecti), or: one that bears on itself (gen. qualitatis) the character of folly; for it disturbs and destroys the relation of man to God and man, and rests, as Socrates in Plato says, on a false calculation. And the mocker (the mocker at religion and virtue) is תועבת לאדם. The form of combination stands here before a word with ל, as at Job 18:2; Job 24:5, and frequently. but why does not the poet say directly תועבת אדם? Perhaps to leave room for the double sense, that the mocker is not only an abomination to men, viz., to the better disposed; but also, for he makes others err as to their faith, and draws them into his frivolous thoughts, becomes to them a cause of abomination, i.e., of such conduct and of such thoughts as are an abomination before God (Proverbs 15:9, Proverbs 15:26).