Proverbs 9:8
Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The wisdom here isn't just about what to say, but who to say it to. It highlights that rebuking a scoffer often backfires, making them hate you more and closing the door to any potential good. Conversely, a wise person welcomes correction because they recognize it as a sign of care and a path to growth.
This verse comes as Wisdom is hosting a grand feast and sending out invitations. The preceding verses describe Wisdom's preparations and her servants calling out to the simple. This proverb offers a practical piece of advice about who to engage with, distinguishing between those who will receive correction and those who will reject it.
Ever feel like your best advice just bounced off someone? This verse gives us a crucial clue about why.
Proverbs 9:8 presents a stark contrast between two types of people: the scorner and the wise man. The text advises us not to reprove a scorner because it will likely lead to hatred and be ineffective. This isn't about avoiding confrontation, but about wisely assessing the heart.
A scorner is someone who not only rejects correction but actively mocks or despises it. They are hardened in their ways and see any attempt at guidance as an attack. Trying to reason with them is like throwing pearls before swine – it's a waste and can even provoke aggression.
On the other hand, a wise man is open to correction. They understand their own limitations and value growth. When a wise person is reproved by someone showing genuine care, they don't react with anger; they respond with gratitude, recognizing the love and benefit in the feedback.
Why would someone love being corrected? This verse reveals the motivation behind genuine, fruitful feedback.
The second part of Proverbs 9:8, 'reprove a wise man, and he will love you,' highlights a beautiful principle about genuine growth. The wise person's positive reaction isn't just politeness; it stems from recognizing the underlying 'love' and 'faithfulness' behind the correction.
When we offer counsel to someone who is wise and open, our motive matters. If our intention is truly to help them grow, to show them a better way, and to share in their journey toward greater understanding, that love will be perceived. The wise individual doesn't see reproof as an attack on their character, but as a gift – an opportunity to become even better.
This is the essence of discipleship and healthy community. We offer feedback rooted in love, and those with a wise heart receive it as a vital component of their continued learning and spiritual development. It’s not about pointing out flaws to condemn, but about strengthening each other in the pursuit of righteousness.
Understand the original words
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.
This passage echoes Proverbs 9:8, highlighting that a wise person will welcome and even 'love' the faithful correction from a righteous person, seeing it as beneficial rather than hateful.
Proverbs 15:12This verse directly complements Proverbs 9:8 by stating that a scoffer rejects all forms of reproof and correction, underscoring why it's futile and harmful to confront such individuals.
Proverbs 23:9This proverb reinforces the idea in Proverbs 9:8 that speaking wisdom to someone who scoffs is a waste, as they will inevitably despise and reject the message, making the speaker's effort ineffectual.
Matthew 7:6Jesus uses a similar principle when warning his disciples not to cast their 'pearls before swine,' meaning that some individuals are unreceptive to valuable counsel and will only react with hostility.
pulpitProverbs 9:8: "Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee."
Verse 8. - Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee (see the last note, and comp. Proverbs 15:12, and note there). There are times when reproof only hardens and exasperates. "It is not proper," says St. Gregory, "for the good man to fear lest the scorner should utter abuse at him when he is chidden, but lest, being drawn into hatred, he should be made worse" ('Moral.,' 8:67). "Bad men sometimes w…
pooleProverbs 9:8: "Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee."
Reprove not a scorner; an obstinate and incorrigible sinner, who scornfully rejects and despiseth the means of amendment. Thus physicians deny physic to persons in desperate condition. Lest he hate thee; whereby thou wilt not only expose thyself without necessity to his malice and rage, but also make thyself utterly uncapable of doing him that good which possibly thou mightest do by other more pr…
The wisdom here isn't just about what to say, but who to say it to. It highlights that rebuking a scoffer often backfires, making them hate you more and closing the door to any potential good. Conversely, a wise person welcomes correction because they recognize it as a sign of care and a path to growth.
This verse comes as Wisdom is hosting a grand feast and sending out invitations. The preceding verses describe Wisdom's preparations and her servants calling out to the simple. This proverb offers a practical piece of advice about who to engage with, distinguishing between those who will receive correction and those who will reject it.
This verse comes as Wisdom is hosting a grand feast and sending out invitations. The preceding verses describe Wisdom's preparations and her servants calling out to the simple. This proverb offers a practical piece of advice about who to engage with, distinguishing between those who will receive correction and those who will reject it.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Proverbs 9:8 is available in the Sola app.
"Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you." — The wisdom here isn't just about what to say, but who to say it to. It highlights that rebuking a scoffer often backfires, making them hate you more and closing the door to any potential good. Co…
