Proverbs 17:24 (DBY)

Passage

Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart promoteth healing; but a broken spirit drieth up the bones.

Proverbs 17:23 A wicked [man] taketh a gift out of the bosom, to pervert the paths of judgment.

Proverbs 17:24 Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

Proverbs 17:25 A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bore him.

Proverbs 17:26 To punish a righteous [man] is not good, nor to strike nobles because of [their] uprightness.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wisdom", "before", "hath", "understanding", "eyes", "fool", "ends", and "earth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wisdom" and "before", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "A wicked man taketh a gift out..." into verse 25's "A foolish son is a grief to...", so "wisdom" and "before" belong inside that flow. In Proverbs context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wisdom" and "before" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.