24:1 Do not envy evil people, 1
do not desire 2 to be with them;
24:2 for their hearts contemplate violence,
and their lips speak harm. 3
1 tn Heb “evil men,” although the context indicates a generic sense.
2 tn The Hitpael jussive is from the verb that means “to crave; to desire.” This is more of a coveting, an intense desire.
3 sn This nineteenth saying warns against evil associations. Evil people are obsessed with destruction and trouble. See on this theme 1:10-19; 3:31 and 23:17. D. Kidner observes that a close view of sinners is often a good antidote to envying them (Proverbs [TOTC], 153).