Bible Strands
Proverbs 24:29
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The wisdom teacher addresses readers in a community context, placing this command immediately after Proverbs 24:28’s instruction against false testimony and before the observation of the slacker in Proverbs 24:30. The text explicitly forbids declaring a personal plan to mirror another’s harmful actions.
The words — The Hebrew phrase אַל־ תֹּאמַר (al-tomar) literally means "may not say," targeting the vocalization of a retaliatory vow. The clause כֵּן אֶֽעֱשֶׂה (ken eeseh) translates literally to "so I will do," specifying the exact intent to match the offender's deeds.
The thread — Proverbs 20:22 records a parallel prohibition, commanding the reader to refrain from saying "I will avenge this evil" and to wait on the Lord instead. Romans 12:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:15 explicitly forbid the practice of repaying anyone evil for evil.
Why it lands — The text demands the cessation of retaliatory speech and the refusal to execute personal quid-pro-quo justice. It requires readers to interrupt the cycle of measured revenge by refusing to vocalize or enact mirrored retribution.
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
King James Version
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, “I will avenge this evil!” Wait on the LORD, and He will save you.
- Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:15 Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people.
- Proverbs 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.
- Matthew 5:39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;
- Judges 15:11 In response, three thousand men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, “Do you not realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?” “I have done to them what they did to me,” he replied.
- 2 Samuel 13:22 And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for violating his sister Tamar.