Proverbs 24:17
When thy enemy shall fall, be not glad, and in his ruin let not thy heart rejoice:
Open Proverbs 24:17 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Cum ceciderit inimicus tuus ne gaudeas, et in ruina ejus ne exsultet cor tuum :
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐὰν πέσῃ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, μὴ ἐπιχαρῇς αὐτῷ, ἐν δὲ τῷ ὑποσκελίσματι αὐτοῦ μὴ ἐπαίρου·
- Hebrew (WLC)
- בִּנְפֹ֣ל אויביך אַל תִּשְׂמָ֑ח וּ֝בִכָּשְׁל֗וֹ אַל יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom The Homilies on the Statues to the People of Antioch, Homily XX
7. What is the need then of sustaining such a siege, such torment and such punishment? For if hell did not threaten the resentful; yet for the very torment resulting from the thing itself we ought to forgive the offences of those who have aggrieved us. But when deathless punishments remain behind, what can be more senseless than the man, who both here and there brings punishment upon himself, while he thinks to be revenged upon his enemy! For suppose that we see him still prosperous, then we are ready to die of chagrin; but if in an adverse condition, we are in fear, lest some propitious turn of events should take place. But for both of these there is stored up for us an inevitable punishment. …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Matthew XII. 9, 10
For if them that exult over their enemies, He suffer not to go unpunished (“For rejoice not,” it is said, “when thine enemies fall, lest at any time the Lord see it, and it displease Him”); much more such as envy those who have done no wrong.
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X, Chapter XV. How we can do nothing against our faults without the help of God, and how we should not be puffed up by victories over them
And that we ought not to be puffed up by victories over them he likewise charges us; saying, “Lest after thou hast eaten and art filled, hast built goodly houses and dwelt in them, and shalt have herds of oxen and flocks of sheep, and plenty of gold and of silver, and of all things, thy heart be lifted up and thou remember not the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; and was thy leader in the great and terrible wilderness.” Solomon also says in Proverbs: “When thine enemy shall fall be not glad, and in his ruin be not lifted up, lest the Lord see and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him,” i.e., lest He see thy pride of heart, and cease from attacking him, and thou begin to be forsaken by Him and so once more to be troubled by that passion which by God’s grace thou hadst previously overcome. …