Proverbs 15:32
in Proverbs 15He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He that refuseth correction despiseth his own soul; But he that hearkeneth to reproof getteth understanding.
KJV
He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.
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This verse in Proverbs 15
Commentary
5 notes on this verseWe are not harsh toward the impenitent. They are wicked to themselves, for those that spurn instruction hate themselves. Yet even in such cases we should seek in every way that healing come to those who are so completely perverted as not even to be conscious of their own ills and drunk with a drunkenness more fatal than that from wine, the drunkenness that comes from the darkness of evil.
This site's exposition
The ear that heareth the reproof of life
on Proverbs 15:31-32
The ear that hears the reproof of life abides among the wise, correction treated as an entrance ticket rather than an insult. The man who refuses instruction despises his own soul, doing himself the injury he thinks he is avoiding, while the man who hears reproof gets understanding in direct exchange for the humility it cost him. Gill reads the pair as the chapter's own definition of wisdom, not the absence of correction but the willingness to receive it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
If the prophet deems those guilty whom discipline has never reached, what should we think of those whom it has abandoned? Discerning between the acts of these two classes of people, the prophet authoritatively regards the fault of never having come to discipline as one …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He that refuseth instruction,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Despiseth his own soul - That is constructively; for if the instruction lead to the preservation of life and soul, he that neglects or despises it throws all as much in the way of danger as if he actually hated himself.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| פּוֹרֵ֣עַ | porea' | [one who] ignores | H6544 → | 16 times |
| מ֭וּסָר | musor | discipline | H4148 → | 50 times |
| מוֹאֵ֣ס | moes | [is] rejecting | H3988 → | |
| נַפְשׁ֑וֹ | nafsho | self his | H5315 → | 754 times |
| וְשׁוֹמֵ֥עַ | veshomea' | and [one who] heeds | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| תּ֝וֹכַ֗חַת | tokhachat | correction | H8433 → | 28 times |
| ק֣וֹנֶה | koneh | [is] acquiring | H7069 → | 84 times |
| לֵּֽב׃ | lev | heart | H3820 → | 595 times |
פּוֹרֵ֣עַ[one who] ignores
porea'H6544 →16 times
מ֭וּסָרdiscipline
musorH4148 →50 times
מוֹאֵ֣ס[is] rejecting
moesH3988 →
נַפְשׁ֑וֹself his
nafshoH5315 →754 times
וְשׁוֹמֵ֥עַand [one who] heeds
veshomea'H8085 →1159 times
תּ֝וֹכַ֗חַתcorrection
tokhachatH8433 →28 times
ק֣וֹנֶה[is] acquiring
konehH7069 →84 times
לֵּֽב׃heart
levH3820 →595 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 1:7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
it leads to
- Job 28:28
And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Psalms 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
- Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13
When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
- Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
- Job 28:28
Through
Revelation 3:19Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
it leads to
- Proverbs 3:11–12
My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke;
- 1 Corinthians 11:32
But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
- Hebrews 12:5–11
And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.
- Proverbs 3:11–12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Origen of Alexandria, ON PRAYER 28:7 and Valerian of Cimiez, HOMILY 1:4.