Pro 9:7-12 | KingComments | STEP | form a transitional section connecting the previous section ( ) with the next ( ). Here we still hear Wisdom speaking, summarizing the main things of Her teaching. We can think of these words as spoken to the naive. He should not associate with a scoffer, not even to correct him ( ). Indeed, if he seeks to correct him, he “gets dishonor for himself”. To argue with a mocker means to be showered with filth. A scoffer is essentially “a wicked man”. It is someone who willfully sins and is not open to reason ( ). It is dangerous to reprove someone who willfully defies God. Such a person follows his own lusts and deliberately goes against all the commandments of God. It is throwing pearls before swine if we present him with the beauty of the gospel. There is a good chance that he will turn around to devour his reprover ( ). What this section says is a penetrating depiction of the two types of people we have encountered in this book: the scoffer and the wise. The “scoffer” is the person who lives with contempt for wise and sound teaching. His scoffing is so deep that he also cannot tolerate others listening to sound teaching. He expresses this by making cynical remarks about it. Wisdom urgently advises not to reprove the scoffer, for this will only make him hate you ( ). The scoffer is incorrigible. Therefore, Wisdom warns that anyone who tries to correct a scoffer is asking for trouble. Arguing and hurling insults are in the blood of these cynical troublemakers. The only response the scoffer gives is hatred. Anyone who tries to correct the scoffer is rejected by him with disgust. It comes down to a situation where whoever is wise must become even wiser, and whoever is a scoffer must scoff even more (cf. ). Wisdom makes it clear that the character of each person will continue to develop in the direction he has chosen. Wisdom confronts a choice with eternal consequences. Against the response of the scoffer to reproof is the response of the wise to reproof ( ). The wise one will love the one who reproves him. He proves that he is a wise person by listening to an instruction. And not only that. He will love the instruction. Instruction that is accepted produces love, the opposite of the hatred that arises in the scoffer when he is reproved. It shows that someone does not think highly of himself and is willing to receive further teaching. In addition to being a wise person, he is also a righteous person ( ). Such a person wants to gain greater understanding of Who God is and of who he himself is. That understanding gives life its true richness and meaning. It is then lived with more and more satisfaction, because more and more is answered to the purpose of God with it. True wisdom finds its origin in “the fear of the LORD” ( ). Without fear, in the sense of reverence, for God, there can be no wisdom. No one is wise until he fears God. To fear means to be afraid of oneself for dishonoring God. It is not the fear of a slave for a master, but of one who loves God. The first evidence of wisdom, the beginning of it, is fearing God. He who is wise from the fear of the LORD does not fear Him, but rather wants to be close to Him in order to know Him better. Through “the knowledge of the Holy One” – by Whom God is meant as the triune God – the wise person gains understanding of life, how it should be lived. Whoever listens to the call of Wisdom and embraces its beginning, the fear of God, receives a wonderful reward. That reward is presented as an additional argument for accepting the invitation of Wisdom. Wisdom holds out the prospect of multitudes of days and addition of years, or eternal life ( ). Here, as always, it is about the life of the soul and not physical life. “But the one who does the will of God”, that is, who listens to Wisdom, “will live forever” ( ). In , the conclusion follows with an agreement and a contradiction. Both those who are wise and those who are scoffers face the consequences of who they are. He who is wise will benefit from it himself, while he who is a scoffer must bear the consequences of it himself. Whoever is wise and is guided by wisdom in his life will be rewarded by wisdom. Wisdom carries the reward within itself. The scoffer, he who scoffs at wisdom, injures only himself and will ultimately be in eternal pain. “Each one” – both he who is wise and he who is a scoffer – “will bear his own load” ( ), means that each is held accountable for everything he has done. The wise sows to the Spirit and the scoffer sows to his own flesh. The results are consistent with this ( ). Wisdom and scoff do not benefit or harm God (cf. ). God finds no lack in Himself. He is the only blessed God. Wisdom and scoff often do affect others, but that too is not the issue here. What it is about here is what the ultimate part of the wise man and the scoffer will be on a personal level, the results of their personal choice. For those who see the similarity and the difference, the right choice will not be difficult.

‏ Proverbs 9:7-12

The Scoffer and the Wise Man

Pro 9:7-12 form a transitional section connecting the previous section (Pro 9:1-6) with the next (Pro 9:13-18). Here we still hear Wisdom speaking, summarizing the main things of Her teaching. We can think of these words as spoken to the naive. He should not associate with a scoffer, not even to correct him (Pro 9:7). Indeed, if he seeks to correct him, he “gets dishonor for himself”. To argue with a mocker means to be showered with filth.

A scoffer is essentially “a wicked man”. It is someone who willfully sins and is not open to reason (2Pet 3:3-5). It is dangerous to reprove someone who willfully defies God. Such a person follows his own lusts and deliberately goes against all the commandments of God. It is throwing pearls before swine if we present him with the beauty of the gospel. There is a good chance that he will turn around to devour his reprover (Mt 7:6).

What this section says is a penetrating depiction of the two types of people we have encountered in this book: the scoffer and the wise. The “scoffer” is the person who lives with contempt for wise and sound teaching. His scoffing is so deep that he also cannot tolerate others listening to sound teaching. He expresses this by making cynical remarks about it.

Wisdom urgently advises not to reprove the scoffer, for this will only make him hate you (Pro 9:8a). The scoffer is incorrigible. Therefore, Wisdom warns that anyone who tries to correct a scoffer is asking for trouble. Arguing and hurling insults are in the blood of these cynical troublemakers. The only response the scoffer gives is hatred. Anyone who tries to correct the scoffer is rejected by him with disgust.

It comes down to a situation where whoever is wise must become even wiser, and whoever is a scoffer must scoff even more (cf. Rev 22:11). Wisdom makes it clear that the character of each person will continue to develop in the direction he has chosen. Wisdom confronts a choice with eternal consequences.

Against the response of the scoffer to reproof is the response of the wise to reproof (Pro 9:8b). The wise one will love the one who reproves him. He proves that he is a wise person by listening to an instruction. And not only that. He will love the instruction. Instruction that is accepted produces love, the opposite of the hatred that arises in the scoffer when he is reproved.

It shows that someone does not think highly of himself and is willing to receive further teaching. In addition to being a wise person, he is also a righteous person (Pro 9:9). Such a person wants to gain greater understanding of Who God is and of who he himself is. That understanding gives life its true richness and meaning. It is then lived with more and more satisfaction, because more and more is answered to the purpose of God with it.

True wisdom finds its origin in “the fear of the LORD” (Pro 9:10). Without fear, in the sense of reverence, for God, there can be no wisdom. No one is wise until he fears God. To fear means to be afraid of oneself for dishonoring God. It is not the fear of a slave for a master, but of one who loves God. The first evidence of wisdom, the beginning of it, is fearing God.

He who is wise from the fear of the LORD does not fear Him, but rather wants to be close to Him in order to know Him better. Through “the knowledge of the Holy One” – by Whom God is meant as the triune God – the wise person gains understanding of life, how it should be lived.

Whoever listens to the call of Wisdom and embraces its beginning, the fear of God, receives a wonderful reward. That reward is presented as an additional argument for accepting the invitation of Wisdom. Wisdom holds out the prospect of multitudes of days and addition of years, or eternal life (Pro 9:11). Here, as always, it is about the life of the soul and not physical life. “But the one who does the will of God”, that is, who listens to Wisdom, “will live forever” (1Jn 2:17).

In Pro 9:12, the conclusion follows with an agreement and a contradiction. Both those who are wise and those who are scoffers face the consequences of who they are. He who is wise will benefit from it himself, while he who is a scoffer must bear the consequences of it himself. Whoever is wise and is guided by wisdom in his life will be rewarded by wisdom. Wisdom carries the reward within itself. The scoffer, he who scoffs at wisdom, injures only himself and will ultimately be in eternal pain.

“Each one” – both he who is wise and he who is a scoffer – “will bear his own load” (Gal 6:5), means that each is held accountable for everything he has done. The wise sows to the Spirit and the scoffer sows to his own flesh. The results are consistent with this (Gal 6:7-8).

Wisdom and scoff do not benefit or harm God (cf. Job 22:2-3). God finds no lack in Himself. He is the only blessed God. Wisdom and scoff often do affect others, but that too is not the issue here. What it is about here is what the ultimate part of the wise man and the scoffer will be on a personal level, the results of their personal choice. For those who see the similarity and the difference, the right choice will not be difficult.