Proverbs 17:24 (WEB)

Passage

Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

Nearby Context

Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:23 A wicked man receives a bribe in secret, to pervert the ways of justice.

Proverbs 17:24 Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

Proverbs 17:25 A foolish son brings grief to his father, and bitterness to her who bore him.

Proverbs 17:26 Also to punish the righteous is not good, nor to flog officials for their integrity.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wisdom", "before", "face", "understanding", "eyes", "fool", "wander", and "ends". 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 receives a bribe in..." into verse 25's "A foolish son brings grief to his...", 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.