Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that their ruin isn't just a consequence of God's actions, but a direct result of their own active rejection. They didn't merely stumble into folly; they "hated" truth and "did not choose" reverence for God, a deliberate turning away from wisdom.
Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Wisdom has been calling out to the simple, the scoffers, and the fools, offering guidance, but they've consistently rejected her. This verse explains why she will eventually turn a deaf ear to their future pleas: they actively hated instruction and refused to embrace reverence for the Lord. Their persistent rejection of wisdom and God’s ways is the very reason she won't answer when their own destructive choices finally catch up to them.
Why would anyone 'hate knowledge'? Isn't learning always a good thing? This verse reveals a deep-seated rejection, not just of facts, but of a specific kind of truth.
The verse states, "they hated knowledge." This isn't about a dislike for reading or a struggle with math. It's a profound aversion to the 'light of divine truth' that exposes our sin and wrong ways (John 3:20). When Wisdom calls out, offering understanding and guidance, the stubborn heart doesn't just ignore it; it actively hates it because it challenges their preferred path. This hatred means they rejected the practical knowledge of God and their duty to Him, preferring the darkness of their own devices.
The verse says they 'did not choose the fear of the LORD.' What does it mean to 'choose' this fear, and what happens when we refuse?
The word 'choose' here goes beyond mere selection; it implies a deep love and commitment. 'The fear of the LORD' isn't about being terrified, but about having a profound reverence and awe that leads to obedience. The verse highlights that this isn't an accidental neglect; it's a deliberate refusal. They actively turned away from this vital reverence, preferring to walk according to their own desires and 'the sight of their own eyes.' This conscious rejection of God's authority and guidance seals their fate, as they refuse the very counsel that would lead them away from destruction.
Understand the original words
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daʿaṯ · Hebrew Noun
The capacity for discernment and moral understanding based on the revelation of God. It is not merely intellectual data but an active relationship with truth.
yirʾâ · Hebrew Noun
A reverential, awe-filled respect for the majesty, holiness, and authority of Yahweh. It is the beginning of wisdom and the foundational posture of a righteous life.
This passage highlights how people often hate the light (truth and knowledge) because it exposes their deeds, directly mirroring the 'hating knowledge' mentioned in Proverbs.
Matthew 23:13This verse shows a deliberate rejection of God's kingdom and entrance into it, echoing the idea of 'not choosing the fear of the LORD' and actively shutting others out from His ways.
Romans 1:28This verse describes people who, because they 'did not see fit to acknowledge God,' were given over to a 'debased mind,' paralleling the rejection of God's wisdom and fear with a resulting destructive mindset.
Galatians 6:7This verse explains the principle that whatever a person sows, they will also reap, directly connecting the 'hating knowledge' and 'not choosing the fear of the LORD' in Proverbs to the inevitable consequences of their choices.
bensonProverbs 1:29: "For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:"
Proverbs 1:29-32 . For that they hated knowledge — Hated the light of divine truth, because it discovered to them the evil of their ways, John 3:20 ; or, hated the practical knowledge of God, and of their duty to him, and did not choose — That is, heartily approve of and love, the fear of the Lord — But chose to walk in the way of their own heart, and in the sight of their own eyes. They would none of my co…
clarkeProverbs 1:29: "For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:"
They hated knowledge - This argues the deepest degree of intellectual and moral depravity.
The verse highlights that their ruin isn't just a consequence of God's actions, but a direct result of their own active rejection. They didn't merely stumble into folly; they "hated" truth and "did not choose" reverence for God, a deliberate turning away from wisdom.
Wisdom has been calling out to the simple, the scoffers, and the fools, offering guidance, but they've consistently rejected her. This verse explains why she will eventually turn a deaf ear to their future pleas: they actively hated instruction and refused to embrace reverence for the Lord. Their persistent rejection of wisdom and God’s ways is the very reason she won't answer when their own destructive choices finally catch up to them.
Wisdom has been calling out to the simple, the scoffers, and the fools, offering guidance, but they've consistently rejected her. This verse explains why she will eventually turn a deaf ear to their future pleas: they actively hated instruction and refused to embrace reverence for the Lord. Their persistent rejection of wisdom and God’s ways is the very reason she won't answer when their own destructive choices finally catch up to them.
"Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD," — The verse highlights that their ruin isn't just a consequence of God's actions, but a direct result of their own active rejection. They didn't merely stumble into folly; they "hated" truth and "did n…
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Last reviewed October 2026