Pro 18:1 | KingComments | STEP | “He who separates himself” ( ) does so out of selfishness. His selfishness makes him an enemy of any kind of friendship. Anyone he should take account of hinders him in the pursuit of satisfying “[his own] desires”. All that is before his attention is what gives him pleasure himself. That is why he wants nothing to do with any kind of wisdom, because that confronts him with a higher purpose of life. If anything is said to him about this, either by God from His Word if it is presented to him, or by a human being, if he wants to point something out to him, he “quarrels” against it. He is like the apostate Jews of whom it is written that they do not please God and are against all men ( ). His whole attitude shows that he belongs to those “who cause divisions [or: separate themselves], worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit” ( ). By the way, there is a separation that God asks of us in His Word. That involves separation from sin and people living in sin and from those who accept sin in others and do not distance themselves from it ( ; ; ; ). connects with . He who quarrels against all sound wisdom shows that he is “a fool”, one who by nature “does not delight in understanding”. What he does find the greatest pleasure in is giving his opinion and thereby “in revealing his own mind”. He abhors understanding, but enjoys bringing up his own foolish insights. By what he says, he reveals or betrays what is in his mind. Such a person asks questions to show how smart he is (at least that is what he thinks of himself) rather than wanting to be taught. He has a preformed, uncorrectable opinion and lets it be heard. We find this fool in religious leaders in the days of the Lord Jesus. They cannot delight in the understanding Christ wants to give and even quarrel against it. They only want to air their own understanding and be admired for it.

‏ Proverbs 18:1

The Fool Who Separates Himself

“He who separates himself” (Pro 18:1) does so out of selfishness. His selfishness makes him an enemy of any kind of friendship. Anyone he should take account of hinders him in the pursuit of satisfying “[his own] desires”. All that is before his attention is what gives him pleasure himself. That is why he wants nothing to do with any kind of wisdom, because that confronts him with a higher purpose of life.

If anything is said to him about this, either by God from His Word if it is presented to him, or by a human being, if he wants to point something out to him, he “quarrels” against it. He is like the apostate Jews of whom it is written that they do not please God and are against all men (1Thes 2:15). His whole attitude shows that he belongs to those “who cause divisions [or: separate themselves], worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit” (Jude 1:19).

By the way, there is a separation that God asks of us in His Word. That involves separation from sin and people living in sin and from those who accept sin in others and do not distance themselves from it (2Tim 2:19-21; 2Cor 6:14-17; Heb 13:13; 2Jn 1:7-11).

Pro 18:2 connects with Pro 18:1. He who quarrels against all sound wisdom shows that he is “a fool”, one who by nature “does not delight in understanding”. What he does find the greatest pleasure in is giving his opinion and thereby “in revealing his own mind”. He abhors understanding, but enjoys bringing up his own foolish insights. By what he says, he reveals or betrays what is in his mind. Such a person asks questions to show how smart he is (at least that is what he thinks of himself) rather than wanting to be taught. He has a preformed, uncorrectable opinion and lets it be heard.

We find this fool in religious leaders in the days of the Lord Jesus. They cannot delight in the understanding Christ wants to give and even quarrel against it. They only want to air their own understanding and be admired for it.