Pro 12:8  A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

Pro 12:8 “A man shall be commended according to his wisdom” – Word Study on “commended” Strong says the Hebrew word “commended” ( ) (H1984) is a primitive root literally meaning, “to be clear, or to shine,” hence, it means figuratively, “to make a show, to boast, and to be (clamorously) foolish, to rave, to celebrate.” The Enhanced Strong says it is used 165 times in the Old Testament, being translated in the KJV as, “praise 117, glory 14, boast 10, mad 8, shine 3, foolish 3, fools 2, commended 2, rage 2, celebrate 1, give 1, marriage 1, renowned 1.”

Comments – This word is most often translated “to praise.” Thus, other translations give this reading.

YLT, “According to his wisdom is a man praised , And the perverted of heart becometh despised.”

We see this same statement in Ecclesiastes.

Ecc 8:1, “Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine , and the boldness of his face shall be changed.”

Word Study on “according to” The Hebrew idiom ( ) plus ( ) (H6310) literally means, “according to the mouth of,” and it means, “in proportion to.”

Word Study on “wisdom” Gesenius says the Hebrew word “understanding” ( ) (H7922) means, “understanding, intelligence, prudence.” Strong says it means, “intelligence, success.” The Enhanced Strong says it is used 16 times in the Old Testament, being translated in the KJV as, “understanding 7, Wisdom 3, wise 1, prudence 1, knowledge 1, sense 1, discretion 1, policy 1.”

Strong says ( ) (H7922) comes from the primitive root ( ) (H7919), which means, “to be circumspect, and hence, intelligent.” The Enhanced Strong says it is used 63 times in the Old Testament, being translated in the KJV as, “understand 12, wise 12, prosper 8, wisely 6, understanding 5, consider 4, instruct 3, prudent 2, skill 2, teach 2, misc 7.”

Comments – This Hebrew noun is a key word woven throughout in the book of Proverbs being used six times:

Pro 3:4, “So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.”

Pro 12:8, “A man shall be commended according to his wisdom : but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.”

Pro 13:15, “Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.”

Pro 16:22, “ Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.”

Pro 19:11, “ The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.”

Pro 23:9, “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.”

This word refers to the ability of a man to think straight in contrast to the person who has a twisted mind.

Pro 12:8 “but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised” Word Study on “despised” Strong says the Hebrew word “despised” ( ) (H937) means, “disrespect.” The Enhanced Strong says it is used 11 times in the Old Testament, being translated in the KJV as, “contempt 7, despised 2, contemptuously 1, shamed 1.”

Scripture References – Note a similar verse.

Pro 18:3, “When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.”

Pro 12:8 Comments – The contrast in seen in the fact that a heart of wisdom and discretion will bring a man praise while a perverse heart will bring a man shame. The degree that a man has wisdom determines the degree that he will be praised. The opposite is true of the perverse heart. God does not measure and exalt a man by his tribe, by his noble birth or by his strength and riches. But God looks upon the heart of a man.

We see how wisdom brought praise in the life of Joseph.

Gen 41:39-40, “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.”

We see this wisdom in the life of David.

1Sa 16:18, “Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.”

We see how wisdom brought honor to Gideon (Judges 6-8) while a perverse heart brought despite to his son Abimelech (Judges 7-9).

Wisdom will exalt a man.

Luk 12:42-44, “And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

The Lord spoke to Eli through the prophet and said,

1Sa 2:30, “Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.”

Also, people will speak well of those who show wisdom and discretion. But they will speak bad of those who have a perverse heart.

Pro 12:9  He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread.

Pro 12:9 Word Study on “despised” Strong says the Hebrew word “despised” ( ) (H7034) is a primitive root that literally means, “to be light,” and figuratively it means, “to be in contempt.” The Enhanced Strong says it is used 6 times in the Old Testament, being translated in the KJV as, “vile 1, shall be condemned 1, lightly esteemed 1, despised 1, base 1, settest light 1.”

Comments – This word is used in Pro 12:9 to describe a lowly person who lives in a humble state, compared to Pro 12:8 which describes a person who is despised because of a perverse heart.

Pro 12:9 Comments The phrase “and hath a servant” implies that the person makes an honest living, in contrast to the person who is too highminded to provide himself the necessities of life.

It is better to live simple and have the money to pay the bills and even hire a servant, than to be one who puts on a display of false riches when they actually have no money once their debts are paid. It is better to be of low rank and have a comfortable life, than to be someone who glories in his noble position but really has nothing. The proud person is he that pretends to be something that he is not. The humble man hires only one servant that he can afford, while the proud man hires many servants that he cannot afford.

Note this meaning in the following translations:

BBE, “who is of low position and has a servant, is better than one who has a high opinion of himself and is in need of bread.”

God’sWord, “Better to be unimportant and have a slave than to act important and have nothing to eat.”

RSV, “Better is a man of humble standing who works for himself than one who plays the great man but lacks bread.”

We might find a similar verse in Pro 13:7.

Pro 13:7, “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.”

Illustration – One day while doing banking in Africa, I was standing in line talking to a person, when a window to the cashier had opened. Since I did not see the window, an African yelled, “Hey, Musungo!,” as a way of telling me that it was my turn to move to the window. A few other Africans began to laugh as my being called a “musungo.” This word is Swahili for “a wanderer” and hence, “white man who came to Africa initially as a wandering person exploring”. I quietly walked to the window, with laughing behind me. I began to thank how blessed I was as a missionary in the country, with housekeepers at my home living is a nice home. I began to think that this person laughing was probably one of the many poor people who lacked bread. So, though I was despised, I had a servant and therefore, I had honour. The person causing others to laugh with his joke had honour for a few minute, but he would return to his poverty, which lacked honour, when the laughter was over.

We should learn to be content with the simple comforts of life and not seek to find the honor of men. For those who seek this honor, they will find their life uncontent and their basic needs unfulfilled.

Pro 12:9 Comments – There is a second translation and meaning of this verse.

“He that is despised, and is his own servant, is better than he that boasteth himself and wanteth bread;”

This means that it is better to be humble and work for oneself than to be highminded and trying to see the honor of others while being too lazy to provide for oneself.

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

v. 8. A man shall be commended according to (literally, “in the presence of”) his wisdom, in proportion to the insight he shows in all matters of life; but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised, his crooked and malicious dealings meeting with the contempt and condemnation which they deserve.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Pro 12:8 A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

Ver. 8. A man shall be commended according to his wisdom. ] And all wisdom consists in this, Ut Deum quis cognoscat et colat, saith Lactantius; – That a man rightly know and worship God. This did not Apollonius, whom yet Philostratus commendeth, that he was non doctus, sed natus sapiens, not instructed, but born wise. See the contrary, Job 11:12 . Nor Archimedes, who yet had the name and note, saith Plutarch, of a divine, and not human wisdom; a nor Aristotle, whom yet Averroes admires, as the very rule and copy that nature invented, wherein to set forth the utmost of human perfection; and further saith, that his doctrine was the chiefest truth, and his understanding the utmost extent of human wisdom. These were wise, I confess, in their generations, and so accounted; but by whom? Not by St Paul; he had another opinion of them. See Rom 1:22-23 1Co 2:6 . Not by our Saviour. See Mat 11:25 . Not by any that are rightly instructed to the kingdom of heaven, and have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. The Italians arrogate to themselves the monopoly of wisdom in that proverb of theirs, Italus sapit ante factum, Hispanus in facto, Germanus post factum. Italians, say they, both seem and are wise; whereas Spaniards seem wise, and are fools; Frenchmen seem fools, and are wise; Portuguese neither are wise, nor so much as seem so. Thus the Jesuits – those great clerks, politicians, and wizards of the world – do vaunt that the Church is the soul of the world, the clergy of the Church, and they of the clergy. But what saith that great apostle that knew more than twenty of them? “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord”; 1Co 1:31 for “not he that commendeth himself is approved,” – no, nor he whom the world cries up for a wise man – “but he whom the Lord commendeth.” 2Co 10:18

But he that is of a perverse heart. ] As all are that are not heavenly wise, and that show not “out of a good conversation their works with meekness of wisdom.” Jas 3:13 ; Jam 3:17 But so did none of those heathen sages, whom God, for their unthankfulness, “gave up unto vile affections” Rom 1:20 and vicious conversation; and so set a noverint universi, as it were, upon them. Know all men that these men know nothing aright, and as they ought to know; “professing themselves to be wise, they proclaim themselves fools.” Rom 1:22

a . – Plut.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)