Proverbs 3:29 (DRB)

Passage

Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold him from doing good, who is able: if thou art able, do good thyself also.

Proverbs 3:28 Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again: and to morrow I will give to thee: when thou canst give at present.

Proverbs 3:29 Practise not evil against thy friend, when he hath confidence in thee.

Proverbs 3:30 Strive not against a man without cause, when he hath done thee no evil.

Proverbs 3:31 Envy not the unjust man, and do not follow his ways.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "practise", "evil", "against", "friend", "hath", "confidence", and "thee". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "practise" and "evil", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 28's "Say not to thy friend Go and..." into verse 30's "Strive not against a man without cause...", so "practise" and "evil" 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 "practise" and "evil" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.