◄ Proverbs 22:24 ►
Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man,
Study Bible
Do not make friends
The Hebrew root for "make friends" is "רָעָה" (ra'ah), which implies a deep, intimate companionship or association. In the ancient Near Eastern context, friendships were not casual but involved a covenant-like commitment. This phrase warns against forming such bonds with individuals who exhibit destructive behaviors, as friendships in biblical times were influential and could shape one's character and destiny.

with an angry man
The term "angry man" comes from the Hebrew "אַף" (aph), which literally means "nose" but is often used metaphorically to describe anger, as the flaring of nostrils is associated with rage. Anger in biblical literature is frequently linked to folly and sin, as seen in the accounts of Cain and Esau. The warning here is against aligning oneself with someone whose anger can lead to irrational and harmful actions, potentially drawing others into their turmoil.

and do not associate
The phrase "do not associate" is derived from the Hebrew "בּוֹא" (bo), meaning "to enter" or "to come in." This suggests not just casual contact but a deeper involvement or partnership. The wisdom literature of the Bible often emphasizes the importance of choosing one's companions wisely, as they can have a profound impact on one's spiritual and moral life.

with a hot-tempered man
The Hebrew word for "hot-tempered" is "חֵמָה" (chemah), which conveys a sense of intense, burning anger. This type of anger is often portrayed in the Bible as leading to destructive outcomes, such as in the case of Saul's jealousy-driven rage against David. The admonition here is to avoid those whose uncontrolled emotions can lead to chaos and conflict, as their influence can be corrosive to one's own peace and righteousness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
Traditionally considered the author of Proverbs, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. His proverbs are intended to impart practical wisdom and guidance for living a godly life.

2. Angry Man
This refers to a person characterized by frequent anger or a quick temper. In the context of ancient Hebrew culture, such a person would be seen as lacking self-control and wisdom.

3. Associations
The relationships and friendships one forms. In the context of this proverb, it refers to the caution against forming close ties with those who are easily angered.
Teaching Points
Guard Your Associations
Be mindful of the company you keep. Associating with those who are quick to anger can lead to negative influences and consequences in your life.

Seek Peaceful Relationships
Pursue friendships and relationships that are characterized by peace, patience, and understanding, reflecting the fruit of the Spirit.

Cultivate Self-Control
As believers, we are called to exhibit self-control, a fruit of the Spirit. Avoiding relationships with hot-tempered individuals can help us maintain this virtue.

Influence and Character
Recognize the impact that others can have on your character and spiritual walk. Choose friends who encourage and uplift you in your faith journey.

Reflect Christ's Love
In all relationships, strive to reflect the love and patience of Christ, being a light to those around you.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the warning in Proverbs 22:24 about associating with an angry person apply to your current relationships?

2. In what ways can you cultivate self-control in your own life to avoid becoming a "hot-tempered" person?

3. How can the principle of choosing your associations wisely be applied in your workplace or community?

4. Reflect on a time when you were influenced by someone else's anger. How did it affect your actions and decisions?

5. How can you be a positive influence on those around you, especially those who may struggle with anger?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 29:22
This verse also warns about the consequences of associating with an angry person, highlighting how anger can lead to strife and sin.

1 Corinthians 15:33
Paul warns that bad company corrupts good character, which aligns with the caution in Proverbs about the influence of an angry person.

James 1:19-20
James advises believers to be slow to anger, emphasizing that human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Sermons
Right in Social RelationsE. Johnson Proverbs 22:22-29
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Anger, Angered, Angry, Associate, Befriend, Company, Easily, Friendly, Friends, Friendship, Furious, Fury, Harbors, Hot-tempered, Shew, Thyself, Wrath, Wrathful
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 22:24-25

     5589   trap
     5692   friends, bad
     5964   temper
     6022   sin, causes of
     6213   participation, in sin
     8428   example

Library
The Rich and the Poor
Chapel Royal, Whitehall, 1871. Proverbs xxii. 2. "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all." I have been asked to preach here this afternoon on behalf of the Parochial Mission Women's Fund. I may best describe the object for which I plead, as an attempt to civilise and Christianise the women of the lower classes in the poorer districts of London and other great towns, by means of women of their own class--women, who have gone through the same struggles as they have, …
Charles Kingsley—All Saints' Day and Other Sermons

One Lion Two Lions no Lion at All
A sermon (No. 1670) delivered on Thursday Evening, June 8th, 1882, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets."--Proverbs 22:13. "The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets."--Proverbs 26:13. This slothful man seems to cherish that one dread of his about the lions, as if it were his favorite aversion and he felt it to be too much trouble to invent another excuse. …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

The Formation of Habits.
School Sermon. Proverbs xxii. 6. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." INTRODUCTION.--There is a district, high up in the Black Forest, where the ground is full of springs. It is a plain some nine hundred feet above the sea. Thousands upon thousands of little springs gush out of the soil; you seem to be on the rose of a vast watering-can. Now, from this great source flow a good many rivers, and they flow in very different, nay, opposite directions. …
S. Baring-Gould—The Village Pulpit, Volume II. Trinity to Advent

The Christian Business World
Scripture references: Proverbs 22:29; Romans 12:11; Psalms 24:1; 50:10-12; Haggai 2:8; Psalm 49:6,10,16,17; 62:10; Matthew 13:22; Mark 10:23,24; Job 31:24-26; Proverbs 3:9; Matthew 25:14-30; 24:45-51; 6:19-21; Luke 12:16-21. THE IDEAL IN THE BUSINESS WORLD There is often a wide difference between the methods actually employed in doing business and when they should be. Good men who are in the thick of the battle of competition and rivalry with other firms in the same line of trade, are the quickest …
Henry T. Sell—Studies in the Life of the Christian

Philip and the Emperor
Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.--Prov. xxii. 29. Kallias stayed a fortnight under the hospitable roof of Olympias, and during those days he had the pleasure of seeing how greatly his honest and genial simplicity brightened the thoughts both of his hostess and of his friend. The general outline of his own future seemed now to be approximately settled. Like Philip, he had acquired an incurable disgust for Constantinople, with …
Frederic William Farrar—Gathering Clouds: A Tale of the Days of St. Chrysostom

He Accuses Abaelard for Preferring his Own Opinions and Even Fancies to the Unanimous Consent of the Fathers, Especially Where He Declares that Christ did Not
He accuses Abaelard for preferring his own opinions and even fancies to the unanimous consent of the Fathers, especially where he declares that Christ did not become incarnate in order to save man from the power of the devil. 11. I find in a book of his sentences, and also in an exposition of his of the Epistle to the Romans, that this rash inquirer into the Divine Majesty attacks the mystery of our Redemption. He admits in the very beginning of his disputation that there has never been but one conclusion …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Baptismal Covenant Can be Kept Unbroken. Aim and Responsibility of Parents.
We have gone "to the Law and to the Testimony" to find out what the nature and benefits of Baptism are. We have gathered out of the Word all the principal passages bearing on this subject. We have grouped them together, and studied them side by side. We have noticed that their sense is uniform, clear, and strong. Unless we are willing to throw aside all sound principles of interpretation, we can extract from the words of inspiration only one meaning, and that is that the baptized child is, by virtue …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. "
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God's sight! How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a pure mass of light and …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

We Shall not be Curious in the Ranking of the Duties in which Christian Love...
We shall not be curious in the ranking of the duties in which Christian love should exercise itself. All the commandments of the second table are but branches of it: they might be reduced all to the works of righteousness and of mercy. But truly these are interwoven through other. Though mercy uses to be restricted to the showing of compassion upon men in misery, yet there is a righteousness in that mercy, and there is mercy in the most part of the acts of righteousness, as in not judging rashly, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Proverbs 22:24 NIV
Proverbs 22:24 NLT
Proverbs 22:24 ESV
Proverbs 22:24 NASB
Proverbs 22:24 KJV

Proverbs 22:24 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Proverbs 22:23
Top of Page
Top of Page