Proverbs 9:7-9
Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse doesn't just state that correcting mockers leads to insult; it implies the corrector gets that insult for themselves. This isn't about the mocker's inherent nastiness, but about the shame that falls on someone who has apparently wasted their effort on someone unreceptive, making their attempt seem foolish.
Wisdom is holding a grand feast, but this verse acts as a crucial warning sign. It explains why Wisdom, after calling out to the simple, doesn't extend her invitations to those who openly mock and reject her. Attempting to correct such hardened individuals only brings insult and disgrace to the one trying to help, proving that some hearts are simply not open to correction at this stage.
Ever tried to correct someone who just laughs it off, leaving you feeling foolish and frustrated? Wisdom knows this struggle all too well.
Proverbs 9:7 lays out a stark reality: confronting a scorner, someone who mocks what is sacred or true, often brings nothing but public ridicule and personal shame.
Wisdom's Caution
This isn't about avoiding all correction. Instead, it's a warning about who we try to correct and the likely outcome. A scorner isn't just disagreeing; they're actively deriding truth. When you try to reason with or reprove such a person, their response isn't thoughtful consideration, but often mockery directed back at you. Your good intentions and the valuable truth you offer are met with scorn, making you look foolish in the eyes of others and yourself.
The Nature of the Scornful
These individuals harden their hearts against wisdom. They prefer their cynical worldview and will often lash out at anyone who challenges it. It's like trying to explain physics to a brick wall – the effort is immense, and the result is negligible, except perhaps for a chipped brick.
It's one thing to be laughed at, but what happens when your attempt to correct someone deeply entrenched in evil turns dangerous?
Beyond the shame faced when confronting a scorner, Proverbs 9:7 warns that rebuking a wicked person brings a 'blot' – a stain, a mark of disgrace, or even personal injury.
More Than Just Insult
While a scorner might mock you, a truly wicked person, when confronted, can react with far more hostility. They don't just want to dismiss your words; they may actively seek to harm your reputation or even your well-being. This isn't necessarily about the failure of the reprover, as some commentaries suggest, but the active malice of the wicked individual being confronted.
A Matter of Prudence
Understand the original words
letz · Hebrew Noun
A cynical or arrogant person who mocks truth, rejects correction, and resists the fear of God; the epitome of folly in the wisdom literature.
yakach · Hebrew Verb
To expose someone's error or sin with the intent of leading them to repentance or correction; a key task of wisdom.
rasha · Hebrew Noun
One who is morally deficient, contrary to the standard of God's law; characterized by rebellion and a lack of conformity to God's ways.
chakam · Hebrew Noun
A person who understands God's moral order and lives in accordance with it; one who is teachable and responsive to God's instruction.
Jesus warns against giving what is holy to dogs or pearls to pigs, which directly parallels the idea in Proverbs that reproving those who will only scoff leads to shame, implying it's a misuse of sacred truth.
Matthew 10:14When Jesus sends out his disciples, he instructs them to shake the dust off their feet if a town doesn't receive them, acknowledging that some will reject the message and hostility can follow, mirroring the consequence for reproving a scorner.
2 Timothy 2:23-24Paul advises Timothy to avoid foolish controversies and instead gently instruct opponents, recognizing that arguing with stubborn or foolish people often leads to strife, not godliness, similar to the negative outcome of reproving a scorner.
Titus 3:10This verse describes how to handle divisive people, stating that after a first and second warning, one should have nothing more to do with them, reflecting the wisdom of not continuing to reprove those who show no desire for correction.
pulpitProverbs 9:7: "He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot."
Verses 7-10. - These verses form a parenthesis, showing why Wisdom addresses only the simple and foolish. She giveth not that which is holy unto dogs, nor casteth pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). Verse 7. - He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame. He who tries to correct a scorner (see on Proverbs 1:22 and Proverbs 3:34), one who derides religion, loses…
clarkeProverbs 9:7: "He that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame: and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a blot."
He that reproveth a scorner - לץ 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 neighbo…
The verse doesn't just state that correcting mockers leads to insult; it implies the corrector gets that insult for themselves. This isn't about the mocker's inherent nastiness, but about the shame that falls on someone who has apparently wasted their effort on someone unreceptive, making their attempt seem foolish.
Wisdom is holding a grand feast, but this verse acts as a crucial warning sign. It explains why Wisdom, after calling out to the simple, doesn't extend her invitations to those who openly mock and reject her. Attempting to correct such hardened individuals only brings insult and disgrace to the one trying to help, proving that some hearts are simply not open to correction at this stage.
Wisdom is holding a grand feast, but this verse acts as a crucial warning sign. It explains why Wisdom, after calling out to the simple, doesn't extend her invitations to those who openly mock and reject her. Attempting to correct such hardened individuals only brings insult and disgrace to the one trying to help, proving that some hearts are simply not open to correction at this stage.
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This verse isn't a command to never confront wickedness. Instead, it’s a call for wisdom and discernment. It urges us to be aware of the real risks involved. When dealing with those who are deliberately and stubbornly wicked, our efforts to correct them can lead to us being slandered, accused, or even physically harmed. The 'blot' signifies that the wicked person will likely fight back, not with reason, but with damaging accusations and actions against the one who dared to challenge them.
If correcting scorners and the wicked is so costly, why does Wisdom bother inviting anyone at all? There's a crucial difference in who she calls.
The warnings in Proverbs 9:7 serve as a vital backdrop to Wisdom's public invitation in the preceding verses. Wisdom isn't foolishly casting her precious truths before those who will only defile them.
The Target Audience
Wisdom's feast is primarily for the 'simple' and 'those who lack sense' (Proverbs 9:4, 16). These are individuals who may be naive or lack understanding, but crucially, they are receptive. They haven't hardened their hearts into scorn or deliberate wickedness. They are open to learning.
Why the Distinction?
By highlighting the negative outcomes of confronting the scorner and the wicked, Solomon explains why Wisdom focuses her efforts on the teachable. It's not about abandoning the lost, but about effective ministry. Wasting precious spiritual 'food' and 'wine' on those who will inevitably reject and insult it is unproductive. Wisdom directs her abundant resources towards those who will benefit, allowing the others to face the consequences of their own hardened hearts. This focus allows for genuine growth and transformation, rather than futile attempts at confrontation.
tsaddiq · Hebrew Noun
One who conforms to God’s standards of justice and morality; one who is in a right relationship with God and his neighbor.
"Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he…" — The verse doesn't just state that correcting mockers leads to insult; it implies the corrector gets that insult for themselves. This isn't about the mocker's inherent nastiness, but about the sha…
