Proverbs 1:1-33
The Proverbs of Solomon, Son of King David
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
2 for gaining wisdom and instruction;
for understanding words of insight;
3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4 for giving prudence to those who are simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.
10 My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.
Wisdom’s Rebuke
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,
she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?
23 Repent at my rebuke!
Then I will pour out my thoughts to you,
I will make known to you my teachings.
24 But since you refuse to listen when I call
and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me,
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”
King Solomon teaches us that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction...This verse sets the stage for the entire Book of Proverbs, highlighting that foolishness stems from rejecting wisdom and God...He mentions that man is sometimes foolish and when we are things go awry in our life and in the case of kings and leaders their country gets off course...
Solomon tells us about foolish leaders and about foolish people in general...When we are electing leaders or want leaders to run a business, we do not want foolish ones in charge...So when a country or business or organization elect a foolish leader beware...When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order...A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops...Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked, but those who heed it resist them...Evildoers and the foolish ones do not understand what is right, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully...The foolish ones spew folly and are far from righteousness and are close to wickedness...
Solomon goes on about the foolish leaders and the foolish people of different countries and how the evil leader and evil ones are seen, as the Book of Proverbs unfolds...The foolish look with haughty eyes (Proverbs 6:17)...The foolish engage in slander (Proverbs 10:18)...The foolish joke about their wrongdoing (Proverbs 10:23)...The foolish make great boasts (Psalm 12:3)...The foolish are stubbornly right in their own eyes (Proverbs 12:15)...The foolish are quickly annoyed by insults (Proverbs 12:16)...The foolish lash out in rash words like sword thrusts (Proverbs 12:18)...The foolish express no shame over their folly (Proverbs 13:16)...The foolish speak and act with recklessness and carelessness (Proverbs 14:16)...The foolish spew folly from their mouths (Proverbs 15:2)...The foolish despise instruction and reproofs from those who are wiser (Proverbs 15:5)...When the foolish try and speak in a dignified manner it feels artificial (Proverbs 17:7)...Rebukes just bounce off of the foolish (Proverbs 17:10)...The foolish love to boldly pronounce their opinions (Proverbs 18:2)...The foolish have repeatedly been ensnared by their words in their past (Proverbs 18:7)...The foolish are often characterized by quarreling (Proverbs 20:3)...The foolish frequently disregard wisdom (Proverbs 23:9)...When others stoop to engage the foolish according to their folly, they end up looking foolish themselves (Proverbs 26:4)...The foolish have a history of repeating their folly (Proverbs 26:11)...Those known to be wise are concerned and burdened by the words and actions of the foolish (Proverbs 27:3)....The foolish rage or mock when arguing with others (Proverbs 29:9)...The foolish love to give full vent to their spirit (Proverbs 29:11)...The foolish are quick to speak (Proverbs 29:20)...
So the foolish leader and foolish one has a haughty attitude and think highly of themselves (Proverbs 6:17, Proverbs 12:15)...They lack self-control...They engage in gossip, slander, and impulsive speech (Proverbs 10:18, Proverbs 12:18, Proverbs 14:16, Proverbs 15:2)...They have a disregard for wisdom...They reject instruction and wise advice, making them vulnerable to repeating mistakes (Proverbs 10:23, Proverbs 15:5, Proverbs 23:9)...They have this stubbornness and lack of insight...They cling to their own opinions, even when wrong, and fail to learn from their mistakes (Proverbs 12:15, Proverbs 18:7, Proverbs 26:11)...They have this emotional volatility toward others and the things around them...They are easily angered and quick to react without thinking (Proverbs 12:16, Proverbs 29:9, Proverbs 29:20)...They have a lack of shame...They don't feel embarrassed by their foolishness (Proverbs 13:16)...
From these proverbs of Solomon, we can gain valuable insights into the nature of foolishness and how to avoid it...These lessons go beyond definition, offering practical advice on how to avoid foolishness in our everyday lives...Foolishness is put in terms as the opposite of wisdom, highlighting the importance of seeking knowledge and good instruction from leaders with wisdom...They encourage us to be humble, teachable, open minded toward others, and be mindful of our words and actions...