Proverbs 24:17

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

Thine enemy - so the Qeri'; but the Kethibh, 'thine enemies.'

Let not thine heart be glad (not only do not openly rejoice, but do not even secretly in thy heart be glad) when he stumbleth. Not only are we not to exult in a more severe calamity, but not even in a lighter one of an enemy. The notion is false that the Old Testament does not prescribe love of enemies. This is not inconsistent with exulting over the overthrow of the public enemies of God and the Church: as over Pharaoh (Exodus 15:1), and hereafter over mystic Babylon (; ). David did not exult at the death of his personal enemy, Saul, but mourned (, etc.; contrast ).