Proverbs 22:24 (LSB)

Passage

Do not befriend a man of anger; And do not come along with a man of great wrath,

Nearby Context

Proverbs 22:22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor, And do not crush the afflicted at the gate;

Proverbs 22:23 For Yahweh will plead their case And rob the soul of those who rob them.

Proverbs 22:24 Do not befriend a man of anger; And do not come along with a man of great wrath,

Proverbs 22:25 Lest you learn his ways And take on a snare against your soul.

Proverbs 22:26 Do not be among those who strike hands in pledge, Among those who become guarantors for debts.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "befriend", "anger", "come", "along", "great", and "wrath". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "befriend" and "anger", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 23's "For Yahweh will plead their case And..." into verse 25's "Lest you learn his ways And take...", so "befriend" and "anger" 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 "befriend" and "anger" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.