Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Proverbs 19:27
What does Proverbs 19:27 mean?
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Proverbs 19:27
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This verse isn't just warning against bad advice; it's highlighting that the act of listening to destructive instruction, even with no intention of following it, is the first step toward straying from truth. By choosing to engage with teachings that lead you astray, you actively pave the path away from genuine knowledge.
Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This proverb is part of a larger section of Proverbs urging readers to embrace wisdom and reject foolishness, particularly focusing on the dangers of associating with the wrong crowd and disregarding sound teaching. It directly follows warnings against flattering friends and embracing dishonest practices, positioning it as advice on how to avoid falling into such traps. The verses that follow continue this theme, describing the fate of the wicked and the blessedness of the righteous.
It's easy to listen to good advice and think we've done our part. But what happens when hearing instruction doesn't lead to doing it?
This verse hits us with a stark warning: listening to instruction isn't neutral. The instruction here isn't necessarily bad in itself, but the attitude of the learner can turn it into something dangerous.
Instruction Misused
Think about it: you hear good advice, wise counsel, or even God's clear commands. But if your heart isn't open to change, if you're not intending to act on what you hear, then that very instruction can become a trap.
It's like a doctor giving you a prescription you never fill. The knowledge of the cure is there, but without application, it doesn't heal; it just highlights the illness. Solomon is saying, if you're going to hear wisdom only to ignore it, you're better off not hearing it at all, because it will only lead you further from true knowledge and understanding.
What does it mean to 'stray from the words of knowledge'? It's a subtle but serious departure.
The core warning here is about the process of drifting away from truth. It’s not usually a sudden plunge into error, but a gradual 'straying.'
The Path of Deviation
Imagine a path that starts clear and well-lit, representing God's truth and wisdom – 'the words of knowledge.' When we stop listening to instruction meant to keep us on that path, we don't stay put. We begin to wander.
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This wandering leads us away from the foundational truths that give us clarity and direction. It's a departure from genuine understanding and righteous living. The 'words of knowledge' are not just facts; they are life-giving principles that guide us. To cease hearing instruction is to loosen our grip on that guidance, allowing us to drift into confusion and wrong choices.
Understand the original words
mûsār · Hebrew Noun
A disciplined state of learning, moral correction, or training that leads to wisdom and righteous living.
daʿaṯ · Hebrew Noun
Spiritual or moral discernment that comes from God and a life lived in accordance with His revealed truth.
This passage directly echoes the warning against turning away from sound teaching, describing those who have known the truth but are ensnared again by falsehoods and return to their former ways.
Hebrews 10:26-27It speaks of a willful sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, which has severe consequences, highlighting the danger of rejecting divine instruction and straying from God's path.
Matthew 7:24-27Jesus' parable of the wise and foolish builders contrasts those who hear His words and put them into practice with those who hear but do not act, illustrating the disastrous outcome of ignoring sound instruction.
1 Timothy 6:3-5Paul warns against false teachers and their teachings that cause division and stray from sound doctrine and the truth, aligning with the Proverb's caution against dangerous instruction.
Jeremiah 6:16This verse presents a similar theme of Israel being warned to stand by the ways of old and seek the ancient paths of God's teaching, and the consequences of refusing to listen to the prophets.
barnesProverbs 19:27: "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge."
literally, Cease, my son, to hear instruction, that thou mayest err from the words of knowledge; advice given ironically to do that to which his weakness leads him, with a clear knowledge of the evil to which he is drifting.
bensonProverbs 19:27: "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge."
Proverbs 19:27 . Cease, my son, to hear the instruction, &c. — If thou hast done it formerly, yet do not now, any longer, hearken to those false doctrines, or evil counsels, which tend to withdraw thee from the belief or practice of God’s holy word. Or, as Bishop Patrick interprets the verse, “My son, beware of their discourse, who, under the show of greater learning, seduce thee from the p…
This verse isn't just warning against bad advice; it's highlighting that the act of listening to destructive instruction, even with no intention of following it, is the first step toward straying from truth. By choosing to engage with teachings that lead you astray, you actively pave the path away from genuine knowledge.
This proverb is part of a larger section of Proverbs urging readers to embrace wisdom and reject foolishness, particularly focusing on the dangers of associating with the wrong crowd and disregarding sound teaching. It directly follows warnings against flattering friends and embracing dishonest practices, positioning it as advice on how to avoid falling into such traps. The verses that follow continue this theme, describing the fate of the wicked and the blessedness of the righteous.
This proverb is part of a larger section of Proverbs urging readers to embrace wisdom and reject foolishness, particularly focusing on the dangers of associating with the wrong crowd and disregarding sound teaching. It directly follows warnings against flattering friends and embracing dishonest practices, positioning it as advice on how to avoid falling into such traps. The verses that follow continue this theme, describing the fate of the wicked and the blessedness of the righteous.
"Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge." — This verse isn't just warning against bad advice; it's highlighting that the act of listening to destructive instruction, even with no intention of following it, is the first step toward straying f…
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Last reviewed October 2026