Proverbs 14:8

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
wisdom	חָכְמַ֣ת cha.khe.Mat	H2451	wisdom (in a good sense) · noun, common feminine singular construct
prudent	עָ֭רוּם 'A.rum	H6175	cunning (usually in a bad sense) · adjective, masculine singular absolute
understand	הָבִ֣ין ha.Vin	H995	to separate mentally (or distinguish) · verb, hiphil infinitive construct
way	דַּרְכּ֑וֹ dar.Ko	H1870	a road (as trodden) · noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
folly	וְאִוֶּ֖לֶת ve.'i.Ve.let	H200	silliness · conjunction + noun, common feminine singular construct
fools	כְּסִילִ֣ים ke.si.Lim	H3684	properly · adjective, masculine plural absolute
deceit	מִרְמָֽה mir.Mah	H4820	fraud · noun, common feminine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
2 Timothy 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Colossians 1:9-10 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of…
Psalms 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
Psalms 119:5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
Psalms 119:34-35 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Psalms 119:73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 14:8

See here, 1. The good conduct of a wise and good man; he manages himself well. it is not the wisdom of the learned, which consists only in speculation, that is here recommended, but the wisdom of the prudent, which is practical, and is of use to direct our counsels and actions. Christian prudence consists in a right understanding of our way; for we are travellers, whose concern it is, not to spy wonders, but to get forward towards their journey's end. It is to understand our own way, not to be critics and busybodies in other men's matters, but to look well to ourselves and ponder the path of our feet, to understand the directions of our way, that we may observe them, the dangers of our way,…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 14:8

Appearances deceive the thoughtless, but the prudent discriminate.

John Gill on Proverbs 14:8

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way,.... The way of his calling, in which he should abide, and how to manage it in the best manner; the way of his duty, that he may walk inoffensively both towards God and men; and the way of life and salvation, which is by Jesus Christ, which to understand and to walk in is the highest wisdom and prudence; but the folly of fools is deceit: or "the wisdom of fools", which the opposition requires, and is meant, and is what the Holy Ghost calls "folly", as elsewhere, 1 Corinthians 3:19; this is itself "deceit"; it is science, falsely so called; it lies in tricking and deceiving; and the issue of it is, not only the deceiving of others, but thems…

Read the whole note in the console

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 14:8

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to observe his way, And the folly of fools is deceit. The nearest idea is that of self-deceit, according to which the lxx, Syr., and Jerome render the word error ("Irrsal"). But מרמה is nowhere else used of self-deception, and moreover is not the suitable word for such an idea, since the conception of the dolus malus is constantly associated with it. Thus the contrast will be this: the wisdom of the prudent shows itself in this, that he considers his conduct (הבין as Pro 7:7, cf. Psa 5:2), i.e., regulates it carefully, examining and considering (Pro 13:16) it according to right and duty; and that on the contrary the folly of fools shows itself in this, that the…

The Church Fathers

"The wisdom of able men will understand the paths of wisdom, but the folly of fools goes in the wrong direction." Prophecy says, "To whom shall I look if not to the man who is gentle and tranquil and who trembles at my words." We have been taught that there are three forms of friendship. The first and best of these is based on virtue, since the love which proceeds from reason is firmly based. The second stands between the others and is based on mutuality. It involves mutual sharing and is beneficial to life. Friendship on the basis of free giving is mutual. The third, and last, comes, as we put it, from habit. Some say that it chops and changes, being based on pleasure.
— Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 2

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Deceit · The folly of fools is — The folly of fools is
False Teachers · FALSE WITNESS — FALSE WITNESS
Falsehood · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Fool · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Fools · Are: Self-deceivers — Are: Self-deceivers
Hypocrisy · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Prudence · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Wisdom · .UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — .UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Proverbs 14:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 14:8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 14:8

John Gill on Proverbs 14:8

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 14:8

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Proverbs 14:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 14:8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 14:8

John Gill on Proverbs 14:8

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 14:8

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Proverbs 14:5

Rashi on Proverbs 14:8