Pro 24:17 | MHM | STEP | Do Not Rejoice When Your Enemy Falls This section teaches us not to take pleasure in the troubles or failures of those who oppose us or have done us wrong. It is easy for our hearts to feel glad when someone we dislike faces problems, but God does not want us to have this attitude. We should show kindness and even feel sad for our enemies when they suffer, instead of celebrating their misfortune. v. 17 : The Bible says, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17 ). When someone who has hurt us or stands in our way has trouble, we must not secretly feel happy about it. Instead, we should have compassion, just as David felt sad for his enemies when they suffered (Psalm 35:13-14 ). Even if it is only in our hearts, rejoicing at another’s pain will displease the Lord . God sees everything, even our secret thoughts, and He is not pleased when we enjoy another person’s downfall. Sometimes, if we do rejoice, God may even stop punishing our enemy and turn His attention to our own wrong attitude (Ezekiel 26:2; Psalm 58:10 ).

‏ Proverbs 24:17

Do Not Rejoice When Your Enemy Falls

This section teaches us not to take pleasure in the troubles or failures of those who oppose us or have done us wrong. It is easy for our hearts to feel glad when someone we dislike faces problems, but God does not want us to have this attitude. We should show kindness and even feel sad for our enemies when they suffer, instead of celebrating their misfortune.

v. 17: The Bible says, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17 ^a). When someone who has hurt us or stands in our way has trouble, we must not secretly feel happy about it. Instead, we should have compassion, just as David felt sad for his enemies when they suffered (Psalm 35:13-14 ^b). Even if it is only in our hearts, rejoicing at another’s pain will displease the Lord. God sees everything, even our secret thoughts, and He is not pleased when we enjoy another person’s downfall. Sometimes, if we do rejoice, God may even stop punishing our enemy and turn His attention to our own wrong attitude (Ezekiel 26:2; Psalm 58:10 ^c).