Proverbs 25:12
in Proverbs 25Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man’s rebuke to a listening ear.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, So is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
KJV
As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.
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This verse in Proverbs 25
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAs an ear-ring of gold - I believe נזם nezem to mean the nose-ring with its pendants; the left nostril is pierced, and a ring put through it, as in the ear. This is very common in almost every part of the East, among women of condition. This is a farther illustration of the above metaphor.
This site's exposition
As an earring of gold
As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear pairs with the verse before it, a matched image of costly jewelry for a matched subject, correction well received rather than a word well timed. Bridges reads obedient ear as the hinge of the whole proverb, since the same wise rebuke ornaments one listener and is despised by another, the value depending on the hearer as much as the speaker.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 9 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
The fourth column of the house of wisdom is persuadability in the affections. There is no one who is persuadable to good unless he is benign: and this also accords with wisdom. It is written: "The spirit of wisdom is benign, and will not free …
A golden earring and a shining pearl, etc. Rightly, the humble listener is compared to a golden earring, because while he willingly lends his ear to the reproving and teaching, he already prepares himself to receive the clarity of heavenly wisdom, he already approaches the …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The theme of this proverb being the same as that of Pro 25:11, its occurrence suggests the thought that rings used as ornaments for ears, or nose, or forehead, and other trinkets formed part of the works of art spoken of in the foregoing note, and that the king had something at once pointed and wise to say of each of them.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Like the cold of snow Like the cold of the days of snow (winter), for which a person longs at harvest, but not actual snow, because snow is not beneficial during harvest.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נֶ֣זֶם | nezem | an earring of | H5141 → | |
| זָ֭הָב | zaho | gold | H2091 → | 389 times |
| וַחֲלִי־ | vachali- | and an ornament of | H2481 → | |
| כָ֑תֶם | khatem | pure gold | H3800 → | |
| מוֹכִ֥יחַ | mokhiach | [one who] reproves | H3198 → | 59 times |
| חָ֝כָ֗ם | chakham | wise | H2450 → | 138 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֹ֥זֶן | ʾozen | an ear | H241 → | 187 times |
| שֹׁמָֽעַת׃ | shomaat | listening | H8085 → | 1159 times |
נֶ֣זֶםan earring of
nezemH5141 →
זָ֭הָבgold
zahoH2091 →389 times
וַחֲלִי־and an ornament of
vachali-H2481 →
כָ֑תֶםpure gold
khatemH3800 →
מוֹכִ֥יחַ[one who] reproves
mokhiachH3198 →59 times
חָ֝כָ֗םwise
chakhamH2450 →138 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
אֹ֥זֶןan ear
ʾozenH241 →187 times
שֹׁמָֽעַת׃listening
shomaatH8085 →1159 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 9:8Do not rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
it leads to
- Proverbs 13:18
Poverty and shame come to him who ignores discipline, but whoever heeds correction is honored.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 141:5
Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds…
- Proverbs 23:9
Do not speak to a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
- Proverbs 15:12
A mocker does not love to be reproved, nor will he consult the wise.
- Proverbs 13:18
Through
Psalms 141:5Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds…
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 7:5
It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
- Revelation 3:19
Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
- Galatians 6:1
Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
- Proverbs 27:5–6
Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.
- Ecclesiastes 7:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 9; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).