Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 9:7
He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked [man getteth] himself a blot.
7. shame a blot ] because his failure convicts him of unwisdom in the attempt. Comp. Mat 7:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
7 9. There is some abruptness in the introduction of these verses, which seem to interrupt the even flow of the invitation given by Wisdom. The majority of commentators regard them as the justification offered by Wisdom of her own course, in confining her invitation to the simple, and not extending it to the scorner and the wicked. This explanation, however, leaves us still to enquire why any such justification should here be called for. But if the cry “forsake” ( Pro 9:6), be as it were the key-note of the appeal, then these verses shew cause alike why Wisdom should not reprove the scorners herself, and why the simple should not linger in their company in the delusive hope of winning them with themselves to Wisdom.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
These verses seem somewhat to interrupt the continuity of the invitation which Wisdom utters. The order of thought is, however, this: I speak to you, the simple, the open ones, for you have yet ears to hear: but from the scorner or evil doer, as such, I turn away. The words are illustrated by Mat 13:11 ff.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Pro 9:7-9
Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee.
Reproof
How to give it, and how to take it. Reproofs are like sharp knives, very needful and very useful; but they should not be in the hands of children. Those who handle them rashly will wound themselves and their neighbours. Sometimes reproofs are unskilfully administered, and sometimes unfaithfully withheld. The scorner is the principal figure in the scene of the text. He is in a state of nature. He has no spiritual life or light. He is a blusterer. He is hollow-sounding brass. He magnifies himself. He laughs at the good and at goodness. Accustomed to exaggerate everything, he exaggerates even his own wickedness. He glories in his shame. If you reprove such a scorner, you will probably get to yourself shame. You have trampled on a snake, and it is his nature to spurt forth his venom on you. Your stroke has stirred up every motive within the scorner to redouble his blasphemy. If you could find the scorner alone, his courage would not be so great. Whisper softly into his ear your solemn reproof. Find a soft spot about him, or make one by deeds of kindness. H you gain a brother thus, it is a bloodless victory. The joy is of the purest kind that lies within our reach on earth. The second half of the lesson is, Rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. There is a double blessing; one to him who gets reproof, and one to him who gives it. It is the mark of wise man that he loves the reprover who tells him his fault. (W. Arnot, D. D.)
Reproof
I. As injuriously administered. A scorner is a man distinguished by self-ignorance, audacity, callousness, vanity, and irreverence. His grand aim is, by little sallies of wit and ridicule to raise the laugh against his superiors. To reprove these is injurious. It does them no service, but it brings pain to yourself. There are men beyond the reach of elevating influences, and it is worse than waste of labour to endeavour improving them.
II. As usefully administered.
1. By rebuking a wise man you enlist his affection. Every true man will feel grateful for wise counsels.
2. By instructing a wise man you render him a benefit. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser. (David Thomas, D.D.)
Godly admonitions received by the wise
Iron, which is one of the baser metals, may be hammered, and subjected to the most intense heat of the furnace; but though you may soften it for the time, you can never make it ductile like the precious metals. But gold, which is the most excellent of all, is the most pliant and easily wrought on, being capable of being drawn out to a degree which exceeds belief. So the most excellent tempers are the most easily wrought on by spiritual counsel and godly admonitions, but the viler sort, like the iron, are stubborn, and cannot be made pliant. (H. G. Salter.)
The scorner left alone
The invitation of Wisdom is addressed only to the simple, not to the scorner. She lets the scorner pass by, because a word to him would recoil only in shame on herself, bringing a blush to her queenly face, and would add to the scorners wickedness by increasing his hatred of her. Her reproof would not benefit him, but it would bring a blot upon herself: it would exhibit her as ineffectual and helpless. The bitter words of a scorner can make wisdom appear foolish, and cover virtue with a confusion which should belong only to vice. Speak not in the hearing of a fool; for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. Indeed, there is no character so hopeless as that of the scorner; there proceeds from him, as it were, a fierce blast, which blows away all the reproaches which goodness makes to him. Reproof cannot come near him; he cannot find wisdom, though he seek it; and as a matter of fact, he never seeks it. If one attempts to punish him, it can only be with the hope that others may benefit by the example; it will have no effect upon him. To be rid of him must be the desire of every wise man, for he is an abomination to all, and with his departure contention disappears. They that scoff at things holy, and scorn the Divine Power, must be left to themselves until the beginnings of wisdom appear in them–the first sense of fear that there is a God who may not be mocked, the first recognition that there is a sanctity which they would do well at all events to reverence. (R. F. Horton, D.D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. He that reproveth a scorner] lets, the person who mocks at sacred things; the libertine, the infidel; who turns the most serious things into ridicule, and, by his wit, often succeeds in rendering the person who reproves him ridiculous. Wisdom seems here to intimate that it is vain to attempt by reproof to amend such: and yet we must not suffer sin upon our neighbour; at all hazards, we must deliver our own soul. But no reproof should be given to any, but in the spirit of love and deep concern; and when they contradict and blaspheme, leave them to God.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He that reproveth a scorner: the connexion may be conceived thus, Having invited the simple, he forbids the invitation of scorners; or thus, He showeth who he meant by the foolish, Pro 9:6, even scorners and wicked men, as they are here called; and he presseth his last advice of forsaking them, because there was no good, but hurt, to be got by conversation with them.
Getteth to himself shame; partly from the scorner, who will revile and deride him; and partly from others, because he is frustrated in his design and hope, and by his imprudence hath brought an inconvenience upon himself.
A blot; a censure or reproach.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7, 8. shame(Compare Pr3:35).
a blotor, “stainon character.” Both terms denote the evil done by others to onewhose faithfulness secures a wise man’s love.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame,…. Intimating, that though the simple, and such as want understanding, and of whom there is hope of doing them good, are to be invited into Wisdom’s house; yet not the haughty scorner, the abandoned sinner, the scoffer at all religion, who walks after his own lusts, and is quite irreclaimable; it is but casting pearls before swine, and giving that which is holy to dogs, to reprove and exhort such persons; though the Gospel is to be preached to every creature, yet when men despise it, and make a mock at it, they are to be turned from, and no more is to be said to them; as the Jews of old, they were the first invited to the Gospel feast, the same that is described in the context; they made light of it, contradicted and blasphemed the word, and so judged themselves unworthy of it; wherefore Wisdom’s maidens, or Christ’s ministers, were bid to turn from them, and go to the Gentiles, and preach it to them; for it is to no purpose to address such persons; “shame” is the sure consequence of it, because a man is disappointed of the end he has in view, which is doing good;
and he that rebuketh a wicked [man getteth] himself a blot; this shows who is meant by a scorner, a very profligate man, bent on his wicked ways, and quite incorrigible; to rebuke such an one is not only labour lost, and in vain, but the rebuker getteth himself an ill name, and is sure to have the dirt of reproach and scandal cast upon him; though this a man might patiently bear, if there was any hope of doing good.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In what now follows the discourse of Wisdom is continued; wherefore she directs her invitation to the simple, i.e., those who have not yet decided, and are perhaps susceptible of that which is better:
7 “He who correcteth a scorner draweth upon himself insult;
And he who communicateth instruction to a scorner, it is a dishonour to him.
8 Instruct not a scorner, lest he hate thee;
Give instruction to the wise, so he will love thee.
9 Give to the wise, and he becomes yet wiser;
Give knowledge to the upright, and he gains in knowledge.”
Zckler thinks that herewith the reason for the summons to the “simple” to forsake the fellowship of men of their own sort, is assigned (he explains 6a as Ahron b. Joseph: ); but his remark, that, under the term “simple,” mockers and wicked persons are comprehended as belonging to the same category, confounds two sharply distinguished classes of men. is the freethinker who mocks at religion and virtue ( vid., Pro 1:22), and the godless who shuns restraint by God and gives himself up to the unbridled impulse to evil. The course of thought in Pro 9:7 and onwards shows why Wisdom, turning from the wise, who already are hers, directs herself only to the simple, and those who are devoid of understanding: she must pass over the and dna , because she can there hope for no receptivity for her invitation; she would, contrary to Mat 7:6, “give that which is holy to the dogs, and cast her pearls before swine.” , (with the prevailing idea of the bitter lesson of reproof and punishment), and , , are interchangeable conceptions, Psa 94:10; the is here exponent of the object (to bring an accusation against any one), as Pro 9:8, Pro 15:12 (otherwise as Isa 2:4; Isa 11:4, where it is the dat. commodi: to bring unrighteousness to light, in favour of the injured). is pointed with Mahpach of the penultima, and thus with the tone thrown back. The Pasek, placed in some editions between the two words, is masoretically inaccurate. He who reads the moral to the mocker brings disgrace to himself; the incorrigible replies to the goodwill with insult. Similar to the here, is tollit = reportat , Pro 3:25; Pro 4:27. In 7b is by no means the object governed by : and he who shows to the godless his fault (Meri, Arama, Lwenstein: = , and thus also the Graec. Venet. , scil. ); plainly is parallel with . But does not also subordinate itself to as to the object. parallel : maculam sibimet scil. acquirit ; for, to be so understood, the author ought at least to have written . Much rather is here, as at Deu 32:5, appos., thus pred. (Hitzig), without needing anything to be supplied: his blot it is, viz., this proceeding, which is equivalent to (Targ.), opprobrio ipsi est . Zckler not incorrectly compares Psa 115:7 and Ecc 5:16, but the expression ( macula ejus = ipsi ) lies here less remote from our form of expression. In other words: Whoever correcteth the mockers has only to expect hatred ( with the tone thrown back, according to rule; cf. on the contrary, Jdg 18:25), but on the other hand, love from the wise.
Pro 9:8 The in is that of consequence ( apodosis imperativi): so he will love thee (as also Ewald now translates), not: that he may love thee (Syr., Targ.), for the author speaks here only of the consequence, not of something else, as an object kept in view. The exhortation influences the mocker less than nothing, so much the more it bears fruit with the wise. Thus the proverb is confirmed habenti dabitur , Mat 13:12; Mat 25:29.
Pro 9:9 If anything is to be supplied to , it is (Pro 4:2); but , tradere , , is of itself correlat. of , accipere (post-bibl. ), , e.g., Gal 1:9. = to communicate knowledge, , follows the analogy of , to impart instruction, . Regarding the jussive form in the apod. imper., vid., Gesen. 128, 2. Observe in this verse the interchange of and ! Wisdom is not merely an intellectual power, it is a moral quality; in this is founded her receptivity of instruction, her embracing of every opportunity for self-improvement. She is humble; for, without self-will and self-sufficiency, she makes God’s will her highest and absolutely binding rule (Pro 3:7).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Was and Foolish Responses to Wisdom
(Pro 9:7-12)
Verses 7-9 reveal the different responses of the wicked and the wise to the corrective teaching of wisdom. The examples cited suggest that the longer one follows folly or wisdom the more or less he will tolerate criticism. If rebuked the wicked will respond with abuse (shame) and hatred. The wise will get wiser, increase in learning and will love the instructive rebuker. The lesson seems to be; learn to accept and profit from justifiable correction. It will make you wiser and more congenial, Vs. 8, 9; Pro 19:25; Pro 25:12; Psa 141:5.
Verse 10a repeats a key teaching of Proverbs that the beginning of wisdom is a right relationship with the LORD, a relationship that begets a worshipping and submissive reverence for Him, See Pro 1:7; Pro 15:33; Psa 111:10; Job 28:28;
Verse 10b refers to knowledge of the Holy One, the title Isaiah used so often for God.
Verse 11 declares that long life is bestowed by wisdom, Pro 3:13-16; Deu 32:46-47.
Verse 12 emphasizes the fact of individual responsibility. Examples and actions of others may influence one’s life, but the ultimate loser or gainer is the individual himself, Eze 18:20; Rom 14:12; Gal 6:5.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(7) He that reproveth a scorner . . .Wisdom does not address the scoffer, nor the godless: this would be giving that which is holy unto the dogs, and casting pearls before swine (Mat. 7:6). (Comp. our Lords own plan of teaching by parables, that His hearers might not understand (Luk. 8:10).
Getteth to himself shame.Or, insult.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. Reproveth Correcteth.
A scorner This seemingly abrupt transition is like that in Pro 1:24, where see note. It probably implies a dramatic pause, in which certain things, readily imagined, are supposed to have taken place; namely, the acceptance of the invitation by some, the rejection of it, with contempt and scorn, by others. Hence the severe reflections that follow on the one hand, in this verse and the next, and the commendations and consoling ones on the other, in Pro 9:9, et seq. The words are evidently intended as the language of Wisdom, as appears from the 11th and 12th verses, and not of the writer in his own per-son.
Shame Or, contempt; that is, from the scoffer.
A blot Patrick, in his old-fashioned way, expresses the idea: “Whoever rebukes (warns) one of these impious wretches hath commonly all the dirt thrown upon him that their malice can rake together.” It is not probable that the “scorner” and the “wicked” here mean classes of persons very variant in their character, or of different degrees of baseness; nor that “shame” and “blot” are of different degrees of intensity. It is what is called the parallelism synonymous, wherein the idea of the first member is usually only slightly varied or modified in the second, for esthetic ends.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Contrast Between The Scorner, Who Does Not Like Reproof, And The Wise Man Who Heeds It, (a warning to the naive), Centred Round The Fear Of YHWH ( Pro 9:7-12 ).
The prologue initially began with a warning concerning ‘the naive, — scorners — and the foolish’ (Pro 1:22). Here in this final chapter wisdom addresses the naive, for whom there is still hope (Pro 9:4-6), reveals the truth about scorners, for whom there is little hope (Pro 9:7-8), and epitomises the foolish in terms of Woman Folly (Pro 9:13-18). Thus the fact that Solomon deals with scorners here ties in with the pattern of the book. This not the first mention of scorners. They are mentioned in Pro 1:22 but from then on the scorners tend to be ignored, probably precisely because they were deemed unreachable. Up to this point all that we have learned further about them is that ‘God scorns the scorners’ (Pro 3:34). Now in giving his final warning he wants the naive to learn why that is so. It is because scorners react violently to rebuke. They will not examine themselves. They do not want anyone to suggest that their lives are not satisfactory.
So Solomon now moves on to emphasise the distinction between the wise, the followers of wisdom, and the scornful. Many cavil here at the interruption of two smooth comparisons (Pro 9:1-6; Pro 9:13-18) by something presented in a complete change of style. They do not see it as fitting. It conflicts with their sense of what is appropriate and artistically acceptable. And so they see it as ‘a later insertion’ which does not really fit into the text. But the ancients were more rugged in their presentations than we are, and we regularly find in their writings sudden changes like this which to us at first appear inexplicable. We must therefore give it fair consideration.
And in fact this subsection is not completely inexplicable. Solomon is bringing his prologue to an end and wants to do more than finish it with a nice, smooth parabolic contrast. He wants to cover ‘the naive — the scorners — and the foolish’ (Pro 1:22). So having spoken to the naive of ‘walking in the way of understanding’ (the way of the fear of YHWH and knowledge of the Holy One – Pro 9:10) he does not want to move simply into a comparison with the woman Folly. It would be nice and smooth, but it would not bring his readers up sharp, and face them with their choice. However, that is what he wants to do. He wants to bring the naive among his readers up sharp, by vividly letting them know what will happen to them if they become scorners. And he does it in vivid fashion, by changing his style and letting them know that if they become scorners they will become hardened. For, he points out, those who become scorners refuse to accept correction or rebukes. They become almost unreachable and unresponsive to wisdom. He knows that it is something that the naive might easily become, and he does not want that.
Accepting the text as it stands these words are seen as continuing to be spoken by Wisdom to the naive. Note the ‘by me your days will be multiplied’ (Pro 9:11). Some seek to amend the ‘by me’. However, that requires amending the text in line with the versions. And the versions probably translated in the way they did because they also saw ‘by me’ as difficult. On the other hand ‘by me’ makes perfectly good sense if we accept it.
So here those who hear the call of wisdom are being advised not to become scorners, but rather to become wise men who love reproof and gladly receive wisdom. Pro 9:6 spoke of the way of understanding, so before going on to portray Woman Folly, Solomon wants to bring home what that way of understanding is (Pro 9:10), and warn the naive of what they might become if they refuse to walk in it, as others have done.
The subsection is presented chiastically:
A He who corrects a scorner gets to himself reviling, and he who reproves a wicked man gets to himself an injury (literally ‘it is his injury’). Do not reprove a scorner, lest he hate you (Pro 9:7-8 a).
B Reprove a wise man, and he will love you (Pro 9:8 b).
C Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser, teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning (Pro 9:9).
D The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom (Pro 9:10 a).
D And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Pro 9:10 b).
C For by me your days will be multiplied, and the years of your life will be increased (Pro 9:11).
B If you are wise, you are wise for thyself (Pro 9:12 a)
A And if you scorn, you alone will bear it (Pro 9:12 b).
In A the scorner is laid bare, and in the parallel a warning is given to the scorner that he is personally responsible for the consequences which will affect him alone. In B a wise man is defined, and in the parallel the wise learn that they too are personally responsible for what they are. In C the wise and the righteous man increases in wisdom and learning, and in the parallel the years of his life will consequently. Centrally in D the fear of YHWH and the knowledge of the Holy One are paralleled.
Pro 9:7-10
“He who corrects a scorner gets to himself reviling,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets to himself an injury (literally ‘it is his injury’,
Do not reprove a scorner, lest he hate you,
Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.’
Give (instruction) to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser,
Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Solomon could have said something like this (following Pro 9:6), ‘do not become a scorner for they are unreachable by wisdom, rather become a wise man who loves to receive reproof’. And in effect that is what he does say (see Pro 9:12). But first he wants to puts it in a way that pulls the reader up short, asking him to consider a scorner from the point of view of Wisdom. The naive one thereby learns that if he becomes a scorner Wisdom will want nothing to do with him. Why? Because anyone who corrects a scorner simply gets reviled by the scorner, and anyone who reproves a wicked man can simply expect injury. Note the equation of the scorner with a wicked man, that is, a man who is not righteous and who therefore does not respond to YHWH in His covenant relationship.
Then Wisdom reinforces the lesson by facing the naive man up with a scorner directly. ‘Do not reprove a scorner lest he hate you.’ In other words, ‘recognise that that is the kind of person scorners become. Their hearts are hardened, they will not admit to fault, and they hate anyone who shows them up.
In contrast Wisdom points out how different is the wise man. ‘Reprove a wise man and he will love you.’ Why? Because a wise man wants to know his faults so that he can put them right. He wants to become wiser and so he loves anyone who genuinely reveals his faults to him.
The wise man is then revealed by Wisdom to be also a righteous man (a man who observes the covenant with YHWH). The two are seen as necessarily going together, because the fruit of wisdom is righteousness, and to walk in the way of righteousness is to be wise. She points out that if you give instruction to a wise man he will learn from it because he is a wise man, and will become wiser. If you teach a righteous man he will listen because he is a righteous man and wants to know more of righteousness, and will therefore increase in learning.
As a consequence of the naive young man being faced up with these issues in this way, he has had abruptly brought home to him what is involved in being a scorner, and how much better it is to be a wise man. And it is done by a sharp apparent change of subject, rather than just by a smooth transition. He is jolted into considering the difference between a scorner and a wise and righteous man.
Note On Pro 9:7-9 .
It will be noted that in these verses we have a chiasmus within a chiasmus:
A He who corrects a scorner gets to himself reviling, and he who reproves a wicked man gets to himself an injury (literally ‘it is his injury’ (Pro 9:7).
B Do not reprove a scorner, lest he hate you (Pro 9:8 a).
B Reprove a wise man, and he will love you (Pro 9:8 b)
A Give (instruction) to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser, teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
In A the scorner and the wicked man are contrasted in the parallel by the wise man and the righteous man. In B the consequence of reproof to a scorner are compared with the consequences of reproof to a wise man.
This might suggest that it is this portion (Pro 9:7-9) which was originally incorporated by Solomon, for the purpose explained above, on the basis of a well known proverbial comparison. If Pro 9:7-9 were a wellknown saying which Solomon incorporated it would adequately explain both the disjointedness, and the change in the modes of address, while still fitting easily into the narrative. Modern man would precede it by saying, ‘consider the adage –’. But that was not the ancient way. Solomon can then be seen as continuing his own narrative in Pro 9:10, in order to explain what the way of understanding is, having first faced the young man up proverbially to the choice between being a scorner or being a wise man.
End of note.
When we come to Pro 9:10 it clearly connects back to Pro 9:6, and is indeed explanatory of it. The reader may ask, ‘What does it mean to walk in the way of understanding?’ Wisdom now gives her answer. “The fear of YHWH is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Let the naive young man learn to reverently fear YHWH, which is the first step in being wise and will have the continuing consequence of obedience to YHWH, and let him come to a true knowledge of the Holy One, which will have the consequence for him of knowing God (Pro 2:6) and knowing what He requires, and he will then walk in the way of understanding. Thus we have confirmed at the end that the wisdom which Solomon is speaking of all the way through is based on the fear of YHWH and the knowledge of God.
It should, perhaps, be noted that ‘Holy one’ is actually in the plural (holy ones). But in view of the parallel with YHWH we are probably to see this as an intensive plural indicating the supreme holiness of God. The idea of ‘the Holy One’ fits in well here, for the fear of YHWH partly arises from an awareness of His ‘otherness’, His moral splendour and uniqueness, which brings men in submission to His feet. It is when we know God as He is that we truly fear Him. And for this we can compare Isa 57:15, ‘I am the high and lofty One, Who inhabits eternity, Whose Name is Holy’, which then goes on to say that only the humble and contrite can dwell with Him.
Pro 9:11-12
“For by me your days will be multiplied,
And the years of your life will be increased,
If you are wise, you are wise for thyself,
And if you scorn, you alone will bear it.”
In Pro 9:6 Wisdom had pointed out that if they left off their old ways, and responded to her, they would ‘live’. Now she concludes by pointing out that it is by responding to her, and her message concerning the fear of YHWH, that their days will be multiplied, and the years of their life be increased. And this has within it the implication that those lives will be worthwhile. But it will all depend on their response to God’s wisdom. Each must make an individual choice, to become wise and respond to reproof, or to be a scorner and reject reproof. And they will be responsible for their individual choices. If they are wise it will be because that is the path that they have chosen, recognising that it is for their own benefit. If they scorn the way of wisdom, it is they, and they alone, who will suffer the consequences. It is a fitting aspect of the conclusion to the Prologue.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Fools Reject this Food Pro 9:7-9 tells us that wisdom is not for fools, for they will reject it when it is placed before them (Pro 9:7-8). This is food only for the wise man (Pro 9:9-12).
Pro 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
Pro 9:7
Illustrations:
Gen 19:7-9
1Ki 18:17; 1Ki 21:20 – Ahab hates Elijah’s report.
1Ki 22:24 – The false prophet scorns the prophet of God, Micaiah and smote him on the cheek.
1Ki 22:27 – The evil king also put Micaiah in prison for speaking God’s Words.
2Ch 24:20-22 – King Joash has Zechariah, God’s prophet, stoned.
2Ch 25:15-16 – King Amaziah refuses the words from God by His prophet.
2Ch 36:16 – A summary of how Israel rejected and misused God’s prophets.
Scripture References – Note similar verses:
Pro 9:8, “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.”
Pro 15:12, “A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.”
Pro 23:9, “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.”
Mat 7:6, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
Pro 9:8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Pro 9:8
1Co 2:15, “But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.”
Solomon made a similar statement in Pro 9:8, “Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.” We are to correct those who are in error. If they are rebellious, the burden to correct them is not upon us. However, we are to have enough discernment to recognize when someone is receptive to correction, and offer such in a spirit of love. Solomon as well said, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (Pro 27:6) If we speak the truth in love when correcting others, we may initially wound someone’s heart, but such wounds in the lives of the humble will quickly heal.
Illustration – The king of Israel hated Micaiah for his true prophecy from God.
1Ki 22:8, “And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.”
Scripture References – Note similar verses:
Pro 23:9, “Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.”
Pro 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
Mat 7:6, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
Pro 9:7. He that reproveth a scorner This and the following verse supply us with a reason for the conduct of Wisdom in addressing herself only to the simple. She invites not the pretendedly wise, those who think they are ignorant of nothing: to invite them to the feast of wisdom, would be to expose herself to their insults and censures. They think they have nothing to do with it. They would receive the invitation with disdain; they would despise the lessons of Wisdom; they would reject with disgust her wine and her viands. These scorners admirably represent the genius of libertines and professed infidels. The words, Getteth himself a blot, mean, “Instead of convincing or reforming such a one by his reproofs, he will find himself accused of the same crimes by the person whom he endeavours to amend.” When a man instructs a scorner, his time which he thus employs is thrown away; others deride his pains as a labour ill-placed; and the scorner himself also despises the knowledge which he is taught: Thus a man is put to shame.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.
These are so many various ways of setting forth the happy consequences of those, that at wisdom’s call are made wise unto salvation, They find all the blessed effects of that grace in the heart, in following what is here said, and giving themselves up to the guidance of wisdom.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Pro 9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked [man getteth] himself a blot.
Ver. 7. He that reproveth a scorner. ] This, with the three next verses, may seem to come in by way of parenthesis; and they do not obscurely intimate what manner of hearers ministers mostly meet with – viz., such as our Saviour did, – “But the Pharisees that were covetous, derided,” Luk 16:14 or blew their noses at him, , as one renders it, – and such as long before him the prophet Isaiah did, Isa 28:10 “Precept upon precept, line upon line.” One observeth that that was a scoff put upon the prophet; and is as if they should say, Here is nothing but line upon line, precept upon precept. The very sound of the words in the original – Zau le zau, kau lakau – carries a taunt, as scornful people by the tone of their voice, and rhyming words, scorn at such as they despise.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
He that reproveth, &c.: verses: Pro 9:7-12 not “out of their proper context”. See the Structure on p. 874.
wicked = lawless. Hebrew. rasha’. App-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 9:7-12
Pro 9:7-12
SOME SPECIAL PROVERBS BETWEEN THE TWO
INVITATIONS FROM WISDOM AND FROM FOLLY
“He that correcteth a scoffer getteth to himself reviling;
And he that reproveth a wicked man getteth himself a blot.
Reprove not a scoffer, lest he hate thee:
Reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser:
Teach a wise man, and he will increase in learning.
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom;
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
For by me thy days shall be multiplied,
And the years of thy life shall be increased.
If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself,’
And if thou scoffest, thou alone shall bear it.”
Some of the scholars object to the inclusion of Pro 9:7-12 at this point in the chapter; but there is no agreement on where they should be placed if removed from where we find them. “It may be that these verses are intended to emphasize in an indirect manner the role of Wisdom as a teacher.
Hendry pointed out that, “In Pro 9:7 and Pro 9:8, the contrast is not between those invited and those not invited to the house of Wisdom, but between the reactions of the scoffer and the teachable man to that discipline imparted by wisdom. Christ utilized this same teaching in his warnings against giving that which is holy to dogs and casting one’s pearls before swine (Mat 7:6).
Another interesting comment on these intermediate verses between Wisdom and Folly is, “There is a degree of pessimism in these verses, and it may be that their location here is to tone down the optimism of Pro 9:1-6.
It is a solemn fact that there are incorrigibly wicked men, scoffers and haters of all that is righteous; and the message here is that Wisdom must not waste her efforts upon such evil men.
“If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself,, if thou scoffest … thou shalt bear it” (Pro 9:12). “Only here in Proverbs is the doctrine of individual responsibility promulgated.
Pro 9:7. A triple parallel: correcteth and reproved; scoffer and Wicked man; and getteth to himself reviling and getteth himself a blot. A scoffer will neither appreciate your sincere intention to help him nor allow himself to see the correctness of what you are saying to him. Instead of straightening up as a result of your proper rebuke, he will say all manner of evil about you, and you (the innocent) end up with a blot.
Pro 9:8. Reprove the wise but not the scoffer. The one will love you for it; the other will hate you. In harmony with this verse the Lord reproved Saul of Tarsus (Act 9:4) and chastens His children (Heb 12:6), but He teaches us not to cast our pearls before swine-scoffers (Mat 7:6).
Pro 9:9. The same good qualities of the wise man who accepted rebuke in Pro 9:8 show up in this verse and justify the time and effort that it takes to instruct him. As a result of your efforts he will be yet wiser and will increase in learning. This is satisfying to any instructor. Jesus parabolic teaching resulted in whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance (Mat 13:12).
Pro 9:10. Other passages agreeing with the first statement: The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom (Job 28:28); The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom (Psa 111:10); The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge (Pro 1:7). No one can be a person of real understanding who does not know the holy One in whom alone originally resided wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The Greeks were famous for their knowledge, but the Greeks through their philosophies knew not God (1Co 1:21). Paul (the writer of 1Co 1:21) knew, for he had been to Athens and had beheld the famous city full of idols (Act 17:16). Is it any wonder, then, that when he preached there the resurrection of the dead some mocked (Act 17:32)? Nor do present-day philosophies that disregard the revelation of God in the Bible have an understanding of our holy God.
Pro 9:11. The parenthetical explanation being concluded in which wisdom has intimated why it is useless to appeal to the scorner and the wilful sinner, she now resumes the direct address interrupted at Pro 9:7, presenting a forcible reason for the advice given in Pro 9:6, though there is still some connection with Pro 9:10 as it is from the wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord that the blessings now mentioned spring (Pulpit Commentary). Other passages on what imparts long life: My son…let thy heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and years of life, And peace, will they add to thee (Pro 3:1-2); The fear of Johovah prolongeth days; But the years of the wicked shall be shortened (Pro 10:27).
Pro 9:12. Though thy example may be very useful to thy neighbors and friends, yet the chief benefit is to thyself. But if thou scorn-refuse to receive-the doctrines of wisdom, and die in thy sins, thou alone shalt suffer the vengeance of an offended God (Clarke). There is a sense in which others let you be wise if it is your choice to be wise, and others let you scoff if that be your choice. Whatever your choice, the non-committee multitude will not join you. In other words, the scholar who is right tries to tell the others and is not always believed (at least, is not always joined), and the scoffer who is wrong tries to gain adherents to his way of thinking, and he runs into a similar reception.
STUDY QUESTIONS – Pro 9:7-12
1. Who gives such a righteous man a blot (Pro 9:7)?
2. What are the opposite results of reproving a scoffer and a wise man (Pro 9:8)?
3. Who profits from instruction (Pro 9:9)?
4. Where is the opening statement of Pro 9:10 first mentioned in Proverbs?
5. Where else in Proverbs is the truth in Pro 9:11 found?
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Pro 15:12, Gen 19:8, Gen 19:9, 1Ki 18:17, 1Ki 21:20, 1Ki 22:24, 1Ki 22:27, 2Ch 24:20-22, 2Ch 25:15, 2Ch 25:16, 2Ch 36:16
Reciprocal: 2Ki 18:36 – held their peace 2Ch 16:10 – wroth Pro 3:34 – he scorneth Pro 11:20 – upright Pro 12:1 – he that Pro 13:1 – but Pro 23:9 – Speak Isa 36:21 – General Amo 5:10 – hate Mat 7:6 – that Mat 21:46 – they sought Luk 3:19 – General Joh 7:7 – because Joh 7:52 – Art Joh 9:34 – and dost Act 7:27 – he that Eph 5:11 – but
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 9:7. He that reproveth a scorner This and the following verse supply us with a reason for the conduct of wisdom, in addressing herself only to the simple. She invites not the pretendedly wise, those who think they are ignorant of nothing; to invite them to the feast of wisdom, would be to expose herself to their insults and censures. They would receive the invitation with disdain; they would despise the lessons of wisdom; they would reject with disgust her wine and her viands. The scorners admirably represent the genius of libertines and professed infidels. Dodd. But Solomon may also be considered as showing us, in these verses, whom he meant by the foolish, Pro 9:6, even scorners and wicked men; and here he presses the advice last given of forsaking them, because there was no good, but hurt, to be got from them. He that reproves such a one, he says, getteth to himself shame Namely, both from the scorner himself, who will revile and deride him; and from others, because he is frustrated in his design and hope, and hath, by his imprudence, brought an inconvenience upon himself. He that rebuketh a wicked man A man wilfully, obstinately, and determinedly wicked; getteth himself a blot Censure or reproach. Instead, probably, of convincing or reforming such a one by his reproofs, he will find himself accused of the same, or of similar iniquities, by the person whom he endeavours to amend. A scorner, says Lord Bacon, only makes us lose our labour, but a wicked man (that is, one obstinately wicked) repays us with a stain of dishonour; when a man instructs a scorner, his time, indeed, which he thus employs, is thrown away, and others deride his pains as a labour ill placed; and the scorner himself also despises the knowledge which he is taught; thus a man is put to shame. But the matter is transacted with greater danger in the reprehension of the other; because he not only gives no ear to the advice, but turns his head against his reprehender, now made odious to him; whom he either wounds presently with contumelies before his face, or traduces afterward to others behind his back. Advancement of Learning, 50. 8. chap. 2. par. 9.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
9:7 He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked [man getteth] himself a {g} blot.
(g) For the wicked will contemn him and labour to defame him.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
2. The open or closed mind 9:7-12
People do not usually live or die because of only one decision. They develop a pattern of life that ends in either death or life. This section helps us see the outcome of these styles of life. If a person is open to God and teachable, he will become wise, but if he does not accept this instruction and closes his mind, he becomes a fool.
The person who tries to help a fool by correcting him will get no honor from the fool. The fool’s folly has closed his mind to correction (Pro 9:7-8; cf. Mat 13:12-16). A wise man will continue learning from God all his life (Pro 9:9; cf. 2Pe 3:18). Pro 9:10 restates Pro 1:7. The wise life equals the righteous life (Pro 9:9-11).
"Until we take seriously the wrath of God, we shall not really be solaced by the love of God." [Note: Larsen, p. 93.]
Pro 9:12 is a strong statement of individual responsibility. It stresses that the person himself or herself is the ultimate loser or winner in his or her decision to choose wisdom or folly (Pro 9:12). [Note: See Rick W. Byargeon, "The Structure and Significance of Proverbs 9:7-12," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40:3 (September 1997):367-75.]
"Verse 12 reminds us that the Lord wants to build godly character into our lives, and we can’t borrow character from others or give our character to them. This is an individual matter that involves individual decisions. Belonging to a fine family, attending a faithful church, or studying in an excellent school can’t guarantee the building of our character. Character is built on decisions, and bad decisions will create bad character." [Note: Wiersbe, p. 32.]