Proverbs 29:24 kjv
Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.
Proverbs 29:24 nkjv
Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing.
Proverbs 29:24 niv
The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies; they are put under oath and dare not testify.
Proverbs 29:24 esv
The partner of a thief hates his own life; he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.
Proverbs 29:24 nlt
If you assist a thief, you only hurt yourself.
You are sworn to tell the truth, but you dare not testify.
Proverbs 29 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 5:1 | If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify... and does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity. | Legal adjuration, duty to testify. |
| Ps 50:18 | When you see a thief, you are pleased with him, and you keep company with adulterers. | Complicity with evildoers. |
| 1 Tim 5:22 | Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others... | Warning against sharing in others' sins. |
| Eph 5:11 | Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. | Expose sin, do not partake. |
| Prov 1:18 | But these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. | Sinners harm themselves, context of robbers. |
| Prov 8:36 | But whoever fails to find me injures himself; all who hate me love death. | Rejecting wisdom is self-destructive. |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Consequence of sin is spiritual death. |
| Gal 6:7 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Reaping what is sown. |
| Zech 8:16 | These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other... | Duty to speak truth. |
| Ex 23:1 | You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. | Avoid false witness/complicity. |
| Prov 24:11-12 | Rescue those being led away to death... If you say, 'But we knew nothing about this,' does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? | Moral obligation to act on known injustice. |
| Mic 6:8 | What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness... | God's requirement includes doing justice. |
| Deut 19:15 | A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime... On the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be established. | Importance of testimony in justice. |
| Prov 17:15 | He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the LORD. | Perverting justice by enabling wickedness. |
| Ps 15:3 | Who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend. | Integrity and not harming neighbors. |
| Acts 5:1-11 | But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back part of the proceeds... punished with death for lying to God. | Punishment for withholding truth/deceit. |
| Rev 21:8 | But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable... and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur... | Consequences for all who are not truthful. |
| Jer 9:5 | Everyone deceives his neighbor; they cannot speak the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie... | Rebuke for pervasive deceit and lack of truth. |
| Isa 59:4 | No one enters suit justly; no one pleads with integrity; they rely on empty pleas and speak lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. | Justice is perverted due to lack of truth. |
| Jn 3:19-21 | For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light... but whoever does what is true comes to the light. | Hiding truth due to love of darkness/evil. |
| Prov 28:13 | Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. | Concealing wrong brings no prosperity. |
Proverbs 29 verses
Proverbs 29 24 Meaning
Proverbs 29:24 states that whoever partners with a thief, either by complicity, sharing in ill-gotten gains, or covering for their actions, is actively damaging their own life. This individual, despite hearing a public curse or an adjuration for truth-telling, refuses to disclose the crucial information they possess. Their silence makes them an accomplice, inviting the dire consequences meant for the transgressor upon themselves. This action is not just foolish but a self-inflicted spiritual and existential harm.
Proverbs 29 24 Context
Proverbs 29 broadly discusses the righteous versus the wicked, good governance, justice, humility, and the consequences of sin. Verse 24 falls within a section warning against the dangers of associating with the unrighteous and highlights specific actions that are detrimental. The "curse" mentioned is deeply rooted in ancient Israelite judicial practices, specifically referring to a public adjuration or oath of testimony as described in Leviticus 5:1. In such a scenario, if a person had knowledge about a crime and failed to disclose it when a solemn oath was administered in court or publicly, they would then incur guilt (bear their iniquity) under the law. Thus, the verse warns against both complicity with lawbreakers and the grave spiritual and societal danger of withholding crucial testimony, which undermines justice and leads to self-destruction.
Proverbs 29 24 Word analysis
- Whoever is partner (חָלַק - chalaq): This Hebrew verb means to divide, to share, to take a portion, or to be an accomplice. It implies active involvement, participation, or benefiting from the thief's actions. It signifies more than passive knowledge; it denotes a shared interest or a joint enterprise, whether through planning, receiving stolen goods, or covering up.
- with a thief (גַּנָּב - gannav): Refers to one who takes another's property unjustly or secretly. The context is specific: associating with a wrongdoer, identifying the type of wickedness.
- hates his own life (שׂוֹנֵא נַפְשׁוֹ - sone' nafsho): Literally, "hates his soul/self." This is an idiom expressing extreme self-harm, self-destruction, or acting in a way that brings about one's ruin. Such complicity brings dire consequences: divine judgment, societal scorn, spiritual decay, and often personal danger or even death. It reflects an inversion of natural self-preservation, valuing ill-gotten gain or loyalty to a criminal over one's well-being and standing before God.
- he hears the curse (שֹׁמֵעַ אָלָה - shome'a 'alah): This phrase refers to hearing a solemn adjuration, oath, or imprecation, specifically in a legal context, requiring testimony. As per Lev 5:1, if one hears a public "curse" or oath (אָלָה - alah) pronounced against those who withhold information, and they know but fail to come forward, they become guilty. This highlights the awareness of the demand for truth.
- but does not disclose it (וְלֹא יַגִּיד - vəlo' yaggid): The Hebrew verb נָגַד (nagad) means to tell, report, declare, or disclose. The negation "lo" emphasizes the refusal or failure to speak despite the moral and legal obligation to do so. This silence is an act of active complicity, preventing justice from being served.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "Whoever is partner with a thief": This highlights the dangerous alliance. It is not mere proximity but shared complicity or benefit, turning one into an accessory. This partnership is inherently destructive to the partner's character and fate.
- "hates his own life": This phrase dramatically illustrates the severe, self-inflicted harm of such a partnership. The spiritual and existential ruin outweighs any temporary gain from the stolen goods or protected secret. It speaks to a profound foolishness that ultimately diminishes and endangers the individual.
- "he hears the curse, but does not disclose it": This pinpoints the specific sin of omission in a formal context. The individual knows the demand for truth (the "curse" upon those who hide it) and the stakes involved, yet deliberately chooses silence. This reveals a willingness to bear legal, social, and divine consequences rather than expose the wrongdoing. This withholding of testimony is a direct offense against justice and truth.
Proverbs 29 24 Bonus section
The phrase "hates his own life" is a powerful hyperbole, signifying that the one who commits this act brings catastrophic consequences upon himself, acting contrary to the natural instinct for self-preservation. It is a spiritual and existential demise more than just a physical one. This Proverb highlights that passive non-cooperation with justice when one holds key information is considered an active offense in God's sight, just as serious as participating in the initial crime. The ethical demand to testify truthfully, especially concerning matters of justice and the property of others, underscores the communal responsibility upheld by the Mosaic Law. Silence in the face of truth, when prompted by an oath, carries an anathema.
Proverbs 29 24 Commentary
Proverbs 29:24 is a profound warning against complicity with wickedness. It identifies a specific type of moral failure: knowingly being an accessory to a thief's actions and then actively withholding crucial information when there is a public call for truth (like an oath in court). The verse reveals that such an act, far from being beneficial, is self-destructive—literally "hating one's own life." This signifies that the path of shielding or partnering with evildoers leads to ruin, whether through legal penalty, societal condemnation, spiritual judgment, or personal danger. It underlines the fundamental importance of integrity, justice, and the courage to speak truth, even when silence might seem advantageous or safer. True self-preservation lies in righteousness and accountability, not in shielding sin.
Examples:
- An individual benefiting from illegal transactions and remaining silent when the community demands an investigation.
- Someone witnessing a clear act of injustice, knowing who the perpetrator is, but refusing to come forward, perhaps out of fear or misplaced loyalty.
- A person knowing of corruption within a system but keeping quiet to maintain their position or share in benefits.