Commentary - Proverbs 24:8-9

Bird's-eye view

These two verses provide a tight, three-step progression of sin, moving from the internal thought to the external reputation. We begin with the secret act of the heart, devising evil. This is not a momentary flash of temptation, but a settled decision, a project undertaken. The world has a name for such a man; he is a "schemer," or a master of mischief. The second verse then defines the nature of this activity: the actual project or "scheming" that comes from such a heart is, at its root, folly. It is not clever, not sophisticated, but is fundamentally a stupid enterprise, and God calls it sin. The final step is the fruit of this whole process in the life of another, the scoffer, who is the end result of a life given over to such scheming. This man is not just a sinner, but has become an "abomination," a stench in the nostrils of his fellow men.

So we have the internal character (the one who thinks to do evil), the nature of his work (the scheming of folly), and his ultimate social standing (an abomination). This is a picture of sin's anatomy, from the inside out. It is a warning against the first turn of the heart toward evil, because that first turn contains the seed of the entire ugly progression.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

This passage sits within a collection known as the "Words of the Wise" (Prov. 22:17-24:22). This section is characterized by longer sayings and more developed thoughts than the pithy couplets found in the central section of Proverbs. These verses, 8 and 9, form a tight unit that diagnoses the nature of a particular kind of fool, not the simpleton, but the malicious and calculating sinner. The surrounding proverbs deal with justice, neighborly relations, and the consequences of wicked and righteous living. This context reinforces the idea that our internal thought life has direct and unavoidable public consequences. What a man devises in secret will eventually shape his reputation and his relationships within the community.

Key Issues

Beginning: The Heart is the Workshop

The Bible is consistent from Genesis to Revelation that sin is a matter of the heart before it is a matter of the hands. Cain was wroth in his heart before he lifted a hand against Abel. Jesus taught that murder, adultery, and theft all proceed from within, "out of the heart" (Matt. 15:19). This proverb is a sharp illustration of that principle. The man described here is not simply one who stumbles into sin. He is an architect of it. He "deliberately thinks to do evil." The Hebrew word for this thinking, zamam, carries the idea of plotting or purposing. It is a settled intention. This is the workshop where sin is forged. And because this is where the problem lies, it is where the gospel must do its most profound work. A new heart, a heart of flesh for a heart of stone, is the only solution to the man who uses his heart to devise evil.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

Proverbs 24:8

"One who deliberately thinks to do evil..." The verse begins with the internal life, the thought-world of a particular kind of man. This is not about a passing evil thought that is fought and dismissed. This is the man who sets his mind to it. He sits down and maps it out. The verb implies purpose, a project. He is a man with a blueprint for malice. This is the root of the problem. All sin begins as a desire conceived in the heart, and when it is full-grown, it brings forth death (James 1:15). This man is actively cultivating that seed. He is watering it, giving it sunlight, and intending for it to grow into a great and poisonous tree.

"Men will call a schemer." The secret activity of the heart inevitably leaks out and creates a public reputation. You cannot be this kind of person on the inside without it becoming known. The world has a name for this man: a "baal-mezimot," a lord of evil devices, a master of mischief. He is known for his cunning, his plots, his ability to manipulate circumstances for wicked ends. While he may think of himself as clever, shrewd, and a master of the game, the community simply sees him for what he is: a schemer. His reputation is fixed. This is the first layer of consequence, social recognition. People know who he is and what he is about.

Proverbs 24:9

"The scheming of folly is sin..." Now we get God's definition. The man thinks he is clever, and men call him a schemer. But what is the "scheming" itself? It is the "scheming of folly." The word for scheming here, zimmah, is related to the verb in the previous verse. It refers to the plan, the device itself. And God labels this device "folly." All the intricate planning, all the supposed cleverness, is, in the final analysis, utter stupidity. Why? Because it ignores God, it ignores reality, it ignores the coming judgment. To sin against the Almighty Creator of the universe is the most foolish enterprise a man can undertake. And then the text states the obvious, but it is an obvious point we need to hear: this scheming of folly "is sin." It is not just a bad idea or a poor choice. It is a transgression of God's law. It is rebellion.

"And the scoffer is an abomination to men." The progression concludes here. The man who starts by devising evil becomes a schemer, and his schemes are folly and sin. If he persists in this path, he graduates into a "scoffer." The scoffer (luts) is the hardened cynic. He not only does evil, but he mocks the good. He sneers at righteousness, he laughs at piety, and he despises correction. He is the man from Psalm 1 who sits in the seat of scoffers. And what is his final reputation? He is an "abomination to men." Even the world, which might have a grudging respect for a clever schemer, has nothing but contempt for the bitter, mocking scoffer. He has become socially toxic. He is a stench. He has moved from being a problem to being a pollution. This is the dead end of a life that begins with the secret thought of doing evil.

Application

The application for us is straightforward. First, we must guard our hearts above all else, for from it flow the springs of life (Prov. 4:23). Sin is not an accident; it is a choice that begins in the mind. We must take our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). When an evil thought presents itself, we must not entertain it, draw up a chair for it, and begin to strategize with it. We must kill it.

Second, we must reject the world's definition of cleverness. The world is impressed by the schemer, the deal-maker who cuts corners, the politician who plays dirty. But God calls it folly. We must have our minds renewed by the Word so that we see sin as God sees it: not as sophisticated, but as stupid. It is always a bad deal.

Finally, we must see the trajectory. The thought of evil leads to a reputation as a schemer, which hardens into the character of a scoffer, which ends in being an abomination. This is a steep and slippery slope. The gospel is our only hope. Christ died for schemers and scoffers. He can take a heart that is a workshop for evil and make it a temple of the Holy Spirit. He offers not just forgiveness for our foolish schemes, but a new heart and a new mind, the mind of Christ, which devises not evil, but good.