Proverbs 22:24 - Meaning and Application

Here is a wise warning against close friendship with an angry man. Friendship means we naturally adapt ourselves to our friends and try to please them. That is why we must choose our friends carefully, so we do not bind ourselves to someone we would be foolish to imitate. We should be polite to everyone, but we must be careful about whom we let into our closest circle.

This especially applies to a person who is quick to anger, easily upset, and eager to take offense. When such a person is angry, he does not care what he says or does, and he may become wild and reckless. He is not fit to be a close friend or companion, because he will keep upsetting us. Even worse, he may expect us to share his anger toward others, and that would draw us into sin.

The reason for this warning is clear: “lest you learn his ways.” People we spend time with often shape us. Our sinful hearts are already full of dry tinder, so it is dangerous to spend much time with people who keep throwing sparks of anger around. In that way, we can trap our own souls, because anger is a strong snare and leads to much sin. The danger is not only that we may be insulted or harmed, but that we may pick up the same bad temper and make it our own.