Proverbs 18:13
in Proverbs 18He who answers a matter before he hears it—this is folly and disgrace to him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He that giveth answer before he heareth, It is folly and shame unto him.
KJV
He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
⋯
This verse in Proverbs 18
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA commentator
Desert FathersThe Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks · Written before 500.
A brother said to Poemen, 'If I see something wrong do you want me to tell you about it?' He said to him, 'It is written, "If a man answers before he has heard, it is foolishness to him and discredit" (Sirach 11:8). If you …
This site's exposition
Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud
on Proverbs 18:12-14
A proud heart comes before downfall and humility before honor, and answering a matter before hearing it is named "folly and disgrace to him." The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but the verse asks "who can survive a broken spirit?" and gives no answer.
This site's exposition
answers a matter before he hears
John Gill pictures the man who breaks in before the speaker has finished and answers without weighing what was said. He ties the verse to the call to be swift to hear and slow to speak. Such haste ends in folly and disgrace.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
He who answers before he hears, etc. He who wants to be a teacher before he learns does not avoid the fault of foolishness. He who judges the deeds of his neighbors before he fully understands the cause of both parties hastily acts improperly, and …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He that answereth a matter before he heareth it,.... Who is impatient, and cannot wait to hear it out, but breaks in upon the speaker before he has finished what he has to say; or is rash and precipitate, and returns an answer at once, without weighing and considering, and thoroughly understanding, what is said: it is folly and shame unto him; his answer must be a foolish one, and bring shame and confusion upon him; men should be "swift to hear", and "slow to speak", Jas 1:9.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He that answereth a matter - This is a common case; before a man can tell out his story, another will begin his. Before a man has made his response, the other wishes to confute piecemeal, though he has had his own speech already. This is foolishness to them. They are ill-bred. There are many also that give judgment before they hear the whole of the cause, and express an opinion before they hear the state of the case. How absurd, stupid, and foolish!
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
A man’s spirit The spirit of a גבר, who is a mighty man, does not take worry to heart, but accepts with joy and love whatever befalls him.
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. 4 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מֵשִׁ֣יב | meshiv | [one who] brings back | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| דָּ֭בָר | davor | a word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| בְּטֶ֣רֶם | beterem | <in> before | H2962 → | 56 times |
| יִשְׁמָ֑ע | yishma' | he listens | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אִוֶּ֥לֶת | ʾivelet | [is] folly | H200 → | 25 times |
| הִיא־ | hi'- | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| ל֝֗וֹ | lo | of him | ||
| וּכְלִמָּֽה׃ | ukhelimah | and ignominy | H3639 → |
מֵשִׁ֣יב[one who] brings back
meshivH7725 →1056 times
דָּ֭בָרa word
davorH1697 →1440 times
בְּטֶ֣רֶם<in> before
beteremH2962 →56 times
יִשְׁמָ֑עhe listens
yishma'H8085 →1159 times
אִוֶּ֥לֶת[is] folly
ʾiveletH200 →25 times
הִיא־it
hi'-H1931 →1879 times
ל֝֗וֹof him
lo
וּכְלִמָּֽה׃and ignominy
ukhelimahH3639 →
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
Job 29:16I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger.
it leads to
- Proverbs 29:7
The righteous consider the cause of the poor, but the wicked have no regard for such concerns.
- Proverbs 29:7
Through
John 7:51“Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to determine what he has done?”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:17
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I…
- Deuteronomy 19:15–19
A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or…
- Acts 23:3
Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”
- Deuteronomy 1:17
Through
Proverbs 20:25It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly, only later to reconsider his vows.
it leads to
- Ecclesiastes 5:4–6
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
- Matthew 5:33
Again, you have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’
- Ecclesiastes 5:4–6
Through
Deuteronomy 13:14then you must inquire, investigate, and interrogate thoroughly. And if it is established with certainty that this abomination has been committed among you,
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 17:4
and if it is reported and you hear about it, you must investigate it thoroughly. If the report is true and such an abomination has happened in Israel,
- Isaiah 11:3–4
And He will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what His eyes see, and He will not decide by what His ears hear,
- Deuteronomy 17:4
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
On this chapter
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Proverbs of Solomon; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).