Proverbs 17:24

Wisdom is directly in front of ¹  the discerning person, but the eyes of a fool run ²  to the ends of the earth. ³ 

Ps 119:37; Pr 14:6; Pr 15:14; Pr 23:5; Ec 2:14; Ec 6:9; Ec 8:1; Joh 7:17; 1Jo 2:16

¹ tn The verse begins with אֶת־פְּנֵי מֵבִין (’et-pÿni mevin), “before the discerning” or “the face of the discerning.” The particle אֶת here is simply drawing emphasis to the predicate (IBHS 182-83 §10.3.2b). Cf. NIV “A discerning man keeps wisdom in view.”

² tn The term “run” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for the sake of clarification.

³ sn To say that “the eyes of the fool run to the ends of the earth” means that he has no power to concentrate and cannot focus his attention on anything. The language is hyperbolic. Cf. NCV “the mind of a fool wanders everywhere.”