The first sentence in 24:23 indicates that what follows was not part of the collection of 30 sayings that preceded. Other wise men (lit. sages) evidently provided these proverbs.
24:23-25 This saying advocates justice and straight talk. It is particularly relevant for judges of all kinds.
24:26 One paraphrase of this verse is as follows: "The right word spoken seals all, like a kiss on the lips."179Truthful speech is a mark of friendship.
"As a sincere kiss shows affection and is desirable, so an honest (and perhaps straightforward) answer shows a person's concern and therefore is welcomed."180
24:27 The farmer must pay more attention to the cultivation of his fields than to his personal comfort. Likewise everyone should put a well-ordered life, including financial security, ahead of getting married and starting a family. In a broader application, we should keep first things first.181
24:28 Being a witness against a neighbor means testifying against someone. Keep quiet unless your testimony is necessary, and keep truthful when you do speak.
24:29 The quotation expresses the opposite of the golden rule (cf. 20:22; Matt. 5:43-45; Rom. 12:9).
24:30-34 Poverty comes as a robber in that it overtakes the sluggard surprisingly and or suddenly. Continued laziness leads to poverty.
This section of 36 wise sayings begins and ends with a reference to the poor (cf. 22:22-23; 24:30-34). Poverty has some obvious connections with folly, though not every poor person is a fool.
