because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just say people ignored advice; it emphasizes they rejected it as worthless, not even willing to consider it. This isn't just forgetting counsel, but actively treating it as invalid, revealing a deeper defiance than mere neglect.
because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Wisdom has been calling out in the public square, offering her guidance and warnings to those who are simple, scornful, and foolish. This verse explains the reason why her pleas go unanswered: the recipients have actively rejected all of her advice and refused to accept any correction, choosing instead to follow their own destructive paths.
When God offers advice, what does it look like to truly reject it? It's more than just saying 'no.'
The verse describes a deliberate and active rejection of God's guidance. The Hebrew words here paint a picture of someone not just passively ignoring something, but actively discarding it.
Setting Aside Counsel
'Set at naught' isn't just a mild disagreement. It implies treating something as worthless, like throwing away a broken tool. When we ignore God's counsel – His advice, His commands, His warnings – we're essentially saying it has no value in our lives.
Unwillingness to Learn
'Would have none of my reproof' speaks to a stubborn unwillingness. It’s not that the correction wasn't heard, but that there was a deep-seated refusal to accept it. This isn't about making a mistake; it's about refusing to be corrected when we've strayed.
Wisdom isn't hiding; she's calling out publicly. But what happens when those calls are met with scorn?
This verse is part of a larger section where Wisdom personified is crying out in the public square, offering guidance to all sorts of people – the naive, the scoffer, and the fool.
Wisdom's Public Plea
Wisdom isn't exclusive or secretive. She's 'crying without' and 'uttering her voice in the streets' (Proverbs 1:20). This shows God's desire for everyone to hear and respond to His truth. His counsel and reproof are readily available, not hidden away.
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The Consequence of Dismissal
However, the people addressed in Proverbs 1:25 have actively rejected this open invitation. Their response to Wisdom's persistent calls has been to dismiss her counsel and refuse her corrections. The passage warns that this persistent rejection leads to a point where their own cries for help will go unanswered when disaster strikes.
Understand the original words
‘ētsāh · Hebrew Noun
Divine advice, guidance, or the sovereign will of God for human conduct. It encompasses the moral and spiritual direction provided by God to guide individuals away from ruin and toward life.
This passage describes a similar rejection of God's word, where the people have deaf ears and refuse to listen to the prophets' warnings, mirroring the refusal of counsel and reproof in Proverbs.
Luke 11:47Jesus directly confronts the religious leaders for rejecting the wisdom and guidance of the prophets, highlighting the serious consequences of ignoring divine counsel, a theme echoed in Proverbs.
Hebrews 12:25This verse issues a stark warning against refusing the one speaking from heaven, directly linking the rejection of divine speech to disaster, much like the consequences detailed in Proverbs for ignoring wisdom's call.
Proverbs 8:36This verse offers the direct contrast: those who reject wisdom harm themselves, while those who find her love life, presenting the ultimate outcome of either accepting or rejecting God's counsel.
jfbProverbs 1:25: "But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:"
- set at naught—rejected as of no value.would none of—literally, "were not willing or inclined to it."
henryProverbs 1:20-33: "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:"
1:20-33 Solomon, having showed how dangerous it is to hearken to the temptations of Satan, here declares how dangerous it is not to hearken to the calls of God. Christ himself is Wisdom, is Wisdoms. Three sorts of persons are here called by Him: 1. Simple ones. Sinners are fond of their simple notions of good and evil, their simple prejudices against the ways of God, and flatter themselves in their wickedness. 2.…
The verse doesn't just say people ignored advice; it emphasizes they rejected it as worthless, not even willing to consider it. This isn't just forgetting counsel, but actively treating it as invalid, revealing a deeper defiance than mere neglect.
Wisdom has been calling out in the public square, offering her guidance and warnings to those who are simple, scornful, and foolish. This verse explains the reason why her pleas go unanswered: the recipients have actively rejected all of her advice and refused to accept any correction, choosing instead to follow their own destructive paths.
Wisdom has been calling out in the public square, offering her guidance and warnings to those who are simple, scornful, and foolish. This verse explains the reason why her pleas go unanswered: the recipients have actively rejected all of her advice and refused to accept any correction, choosing instead to follow their own destructive paths.
"because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof," — The verse doesn't just say people ignored advice; it emphasizes they rejected it as worthless, not even willing to consider it. This isn't just forgetting counsel, but actively treating it as inv…
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Last reviewed October 2026