Proverbs 17:24 (LSB)

Passage

Wisdom is in the presence of the one who understands, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:22 A glad heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:23 A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom To thrust aside the paths of justice.

Proverbs 17:24 Wisdom is in the presence of the one who understands, But the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

Proverbs 17:25 A foolish son is a vexation to his father And bitterness to her who gave birth to him.

Proverbs 17:26 It is also not good to punish the righteous, Nor to strike the noble for their uprightness.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "A wicked man receives a bribe from..." into verse 25's "A foolish son is a vexation to...", so "wisdom" and "presence" 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 "presence" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.