Proverbs 19:25

Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Smite	תַּ֭כֶּה Ta.keh	H5221	to strike (lightly or severely · verb, hiphil imperfect, 2nd person masculine singular
scorner	לֵ֣ץ letz	H3887	properly · adjective, masculine singular absolute
simple	וּפֶ֣תִי u.Fe.ti	H6612	silly (i.e. seducible) · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular absolute
beware	יַעְרִ֑ם ya'.Rim	H6191	properly · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
reprove	וְהוֹכִ֥יחַ ve.ho.Khi.ach	H3198	to be right (i.e. correct) · conjunction + verb, hiphil infinitive construct
understanding	לְ֝נָב֗וֹן le.na.Von	H995	to separate mentally (or distinguish) · preposition + verb, niphal active participle, masculine singular absolute
understand	יָבִ֥ין ya.Vin	H995	to separate mentally (or distinguish) · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
knowledge	דָּֽעַת Da.'at	H1847	knowledge · 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

Proverbs 21:11 When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.
Proverbs 17:10 A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.
Proverbs 15:5 A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.
Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Proverbs 9:8-10 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.
Deuteronomy 13:11 And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.
Deuteronomy 21:21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear,…

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

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 19:25

Note, 1. The punishment of scorners will be a means of good to others. When men are so hardened in wickedness that they will not themselves be wrought upon by the severe methods that are used to reclaim and reform them, yet such methods must be used for the sake of others, that they may hear and fear, Deu 19:20. If the scorner will not be recovered from his sin, the disease being inveterate, yet the simple will beware of venturing upon the sin which exposes men thus. If it cure not the infected, it may prevent the spreading of the infection. 2. The reproof of wise men will be a means of good to themselves. They need not be smitten; a word to the wise is enough. Do but reprove one that has un…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 19:25

Such is the benefit of reproof; even the simple profit, much more the wise.

John Gill on Proverbs 19:25

Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware,.... That is, give reproof to a man that scoffs at religion, and makes a jest of all that is good; for though it may be of no use to him who will despise it, yet it may be observed, and be useful to another that hears it; who, though void of understanding, yet not hardened in impiety as the other, but open to conviction, "will become cunning" (x), as it may be rendered; or learns wisdom, and becomes hereby a knowing and understanding man; he hears another reproved, and fears, and becomes a wise man; so that though reproof may be lost on one, it succeeds in another, which is an encouragement to give it; and reprove one that hath understanding, and…

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Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 19:25

25 The scorner thou smitest, and the simple is prudent; And if one reprove the man of understanding, he gaineth knowledge Hitzig translates in a way that is syntactically inexact: smite the scorner, so the simple becomes prudent; that would have required at least the word ויערם: fut. and fut. connected by ו is one of many modes of expression for the simultaneous, discussed by me at Hab 3:10. The meaning of the proverb has a complete commentary at Pro 21:11, where its two parts are otherwise expressed with perfect identity of thought. In regard to the לץ, with whom denunciation and threatening bear no fruit (Pro 13:1; Pro 15:12), and perhaps even produce the contrary effect to that intended (…

The Church Fathers

If you want to take Scripture as a witness that sinners are punished for the education of others, even if those unabashed may be beyond treatment, hear Solomon in the Proverbs who says, "When a pest is being whipped, the fool will be more astute." He did not say that he who is being whipped will be more astute and more sensible through the whips, but he said that the fool will change from foolishness into common sense through whips employed on the pest. For this is signified here by the term astute, and the fool changes because he sees others who are whipped. Hence the punishment of others is useful for us if we learn greater readiness for salvation through others who are punished.
— Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 12:6

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

Reproof · Leads to: Knowledge — Leads to: Knowledge
Simplicity · They who have the grace of: Profit by the correction of others — They who have the grace of: Profit by the correction of others

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 19:25

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 19:25

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 19:25

John Gill on Proverbs 19:25

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 19:25

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Proverbs 19:25

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Proverbs 19:25

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Proverbs 19:25

John Gill on Proverbs 19:25

Keil & Delitzsch on Proverbs 19:25

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Proverbs 19:25

Rashi on Proverbs 19:25