Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss is that this verse isn't just about God's reactions, but about a divine pattern of response. God mirrors the attitude people take towards Him: scorn is met with scorn, but humility is met with divine favor. This shows that God actively aligns Himself with the humble, essentially pushing back against those who push against Him.
Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse concludes a section of Proverbs that contrasts the outcomes of wisdom and folly, particularly as they relate to God's perspective. It follows exhortations to trust in the Lord and not lean on one's own understanding, and describes the benefits of divine instruction. The verse itself acts as a powerful summary, showing how God's disposition directly mirrors the attitude people take towards Him and His wisdom.
Ever notice how some people just seem to invite negativity? It turns out, God operates similarly, but with perfect justice.
This verse highlights a crucial principle: God's response is often a mirror to our own stance toward Him and His ways.
Scorn for Scorners
When people relentlessly mock God's commands, reject wisdom, and carry on with arrogance, God doesn't ignore it. The Hebrew word for 'scorners' carries a sense of mockery and contempt. God's response isn't petty; it's a just recoiling from their defiance. He 'scorns the scorners' by rendering their plans ineffective and ultimately exposing their folly. It's a divine pushback against willful rebellion.
Favor for the Humble
On the flip side, God's heart turns toward the humble. The 'humble' are those who recognize their need for God, who aren't puffed up with pride. To them, God gives 'favor' – an unmerited kindness, a special regard. This isn't about being weak; it's about having a teachable spirit, an acknowledging dependence on Him.
We often think of favor as something earned. But when the Bible talks about God's favor, it means something much deeper and more relational.
The second half of Proverbs 3:34 speaks of God giving 'favor' to the humble. This isn't about luck or just being liked; it's about experiencing God's active, benevolent presence and blessing.
More Than Just Liking
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The word for 'favor' here points to a gracious disposition, an attitude of kindness and goodwill. It's the unearned affection and support God extends to those who are right with Him – not because they've earned it, but because of their humble and dependent hearts.
A Counterintuitive Blessing
It’s a beautiful paradox: the very posture of humility, which might seem like weakness to the world, is what unlocks God's blessing. It’s acknowledging we have nothing good in ourselves and that all our hope rests in Him. This reliance is precisely what God delights in and responds to with His gracious favor.
Understand the original words
letsim · Hebrew Noun
Those who mock or show contempt for God, wisdom, or the righteous. They are characterized by an arrogant, dismissive attitude toward divine authority and instruction.
anavim · Hebrew Noun
A gentle, submissive, or lowly spirit, often contrasted with arrogance. Humility involves recognizing one's need for God and deferring to His wisdom rather than one’s own pride.
chen · Hebrew Noun
Unmerited graciousness, goodwill, or kindness bestowed by God. It signifies God's active, favorable disposition toward those who seek Him.
This passage directly quotes Proverbs 3:34 (using the Greek translation), highlighting God's opposition to the proud and His bestowal of grace upon the humble.
1 Peter 5:5Similar to James, Peter echoes this verse, emphasizing God's resistance to the arrogant and His favor towards those who are humble.
Psalm 18:26This psalm speaks of God dealing with people according to their character, showing Himself holy to the holy, blameless to the blameless, pure to the pure, but crooked with the crooked, illustrating the principle of divine reciprocity.
Luke 18:9-14Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector beautifully illustrates this proverb, contrasting the self-righteous arrogance that God resists with the humble confession that finds divine favor.
Proverbs 1:24-26This earlier passage in Proverbs describes how God laughs at the calamity of the wicked and the scoffers, mirroring the idea that He scorns those who scorn Him, as their destruction is coming.
pulpitProverbs 3:34: "Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly."
Verse 34. - Surely he scorneth the scorners; literally, if with regard to the scorners he scorneth (im lalletsim hu yalits); i.e. he repays scorn with scorn; or, as Rabbi Salomon, "He renders to them so that they fall in their own derision (reddit ipsis ut in sua derisione corruant)." He renders their schemes abortive. He resists them. The scorners (letsim) are those who treat with scoffing regard the precepts…
jfbProverbs 3:34: "Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly."
- The retribution of sinners, as in Ps 18:26.
What's easy to miss is that this verse isn't just about God's reactions, but about a divine pattern of response. God mirrors the attitude people take towards Him: scorn is met with scorn, but humility is met with divine favor. This shows that God actively aligns Himself with the humble, essentially pushing back against those who push against Him.
This verse concludes a section of Proverbs that contrasts the outcomes of wisdom and folly, particularly as they relate to God's perspective. It follows exhortations to trust in the Lord and not lean on one's own understanding, and describes the benefits of divine instruction. The verse itself acts as a powerful summary, showing how God's disposition directly mirrors the attitude people take towards Him and His wisdom.
This verse concludes a section of Proverbs that contrasts the outcomes of wisdom and folly, particularly as they relate to God's perspective. It follows exhortations to trust in the Lord and not lean on one's own understanding, and describes the benefits of divine instruction. The verse itself acts as a powerful summary, showing how God's disposition directly mirrors the attitude people take towards Him and His wisdom.
"Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor." — What's easy to miss is that this verse isn't just about God's reactions, but about a divine pattern of response. God mirrors the attitude people take towards Him: scorn is met with scorn, but humil…
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Last reviewed October 2026