Proverbs 24:27

Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The author of Proverbs addresses a general listener, placing this directive between commands about honest speech and truthful testimony. The instruction functions as a practical boundary for daily conduct.

The words — הָ֘כֵ֤ן (ha.Khen) literally means establish, and בַּ/ח֨וּץ\׀ (ba./Chutz) denotes the outside or field, framing the verse’s emphasis on foundational labor.

The thread — This sequence of preparation before construction echoes the principle of counting resources in Luke 14:28 and the careful quarrying of foundation stones in 1 Kings 5:17 and 1 Kings 6:7.

Why it lands — The text commands prioritizing outdoor labor and field preparation before undertaking domestic building, establishing a strict order of operations.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

הָ֘כֵ֤ןha.Khenestablish בַּח֨וּץ׀ba./Chutzon the/ outside מְלַאכְתֶּ֗ךָme.lakh.Te./khawork/ your וְעַתְּדָ֣הּve./'a.te.Da/hand/ make ready/ it בַּשָּׂדֶ֣הba./sa.Dehin the/ fieldלָ֑ךְLa/khfor/ yourselfאַ֝חַ֗ר'a.Charafter וּבָנִ֥יתָu./va.Ni.taand/ you will build בֵיתֶֽךָ׃ פvei.Te./khahouse/ your

King James Version

Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

Cross-references

Luke 14:28 Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?
1 Kings 5:17 And the king commanded them to quarry large, costly stones to lay the foundation of the temple with dressed stones.
1 Kings 6:7 The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.