Proverbs 9:12

Pro 9:12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but [if] thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear [it].

Ver. 12. If thou be wise, thou shalt.] The benefit shall be thine own. Plutarch reports of the palm tree that it yields to the Babylonians three hundred and sixty different commodities, and is therefore in great esteem among them. How should men esteem of sound wisdom, since there is a μυριομακαριοτης in it, {1Ti 4:8} a thousand commodities to be reaped by it!

Thou alone shalt bear it.] Thy scorning shall not, as thou thinkest, hurt him that tendereth thy salvation. For as the air when beaten is not hurt, no, nor so much as divided, but returns to his place and becomes thicker, Ita animus recti conscius, et ad optima erectus, non admittit irridentium flatus, nec sentit, saith one; so an honest heart, set for heaven, slights the contempts of graceless persons, and pities them that jeer when they should fear, as much as good Lot once did his profane sons-in-law. His words to such are like those of the prophet, "Be not ye mockers, lest your bands be increased." {Isa 28:22; Isa 28:10 Pro 9:7}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou shalt have the chief profit and commodity thereof.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

You are mainly concerned in your own conduct.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 12. If thou be wise] It is thy own interest to be religious. Though thy example may be very useful to thy neighbours and friends, yet the chief benefit is to thyself. But if thou scorn - refuse to receive - the doctrines of wisdom, and die in thy sins, thou alone shalt suffer the vengeance of an offended God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(12) Thou shalt be wise for thyself—i.e., to thine own benefit. (Comp. 1Co_3:8.)

Thou alone shalt bear it—i.e., its penalty. (Comp. Gal_6:5.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

12. shalt be] Rather, art. R.V.

The LXX. version of this verse is interesting, and represents perhaps a fuller Hebrew text:

“My son, if thou be wise to thyself, thou shalt be wise to thy neighbours also;

But if thou turn out evil, thou alone shalt bear (lit. drain) the evil.

Whoso stayeth himself upon lies, he tendeth the winds;

And he will follow after birds on the wing.

For he hath forsaken the ways of his vineyard, and gone astray in the paths of his field;

For he walketh through a desert without water, and over a land that is set in thirsty places;

And with his hands he gathereth that which is without fruit.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself,.... He is wise that harkens to Wisdom's advice, that obeys her call, turns in to her house, and becomes her guest; and such an one is wise for himself, it is for his own good, profit, and advantage; for the good of his soul, for his present peace and comfort, and for his future bliss and happiness. It is not for her own sake that Wisdom presses her exhortations, and is so urgent on men to take her counsel and advice; it is for their own good; their wisdom is not profitable to her, but to themselves; they, and they only, reap the advantage and usefulness of it; see Job 22:2. The Syriac and Arabic versions add, "and unto thy friends"; and the Septuagint version is, "if thou becomest wise to thyself, thou wilt be wise to neighbours"; they will receive some profit by it;

but if thou scornest, thou alone shall bear it; the evil, as the Vulgate Latin; the sin of scorning, and the punishment due unto it; it will bring no real hurt to Wisdom, or Christ, nor to his ministers, nor to his Gospel and ordinances, scoffed at; all the hurt will redound to the scoffer himself; and he alone shall bear it, and feel the smart of it, and all the dreadful consequences following upon it. The Septuagint version here adds the following clause,

"he that trusteth in lies, he feedeth on winds; the same pursues birds flying; for he forsakes the ways of his own vineyard; he wanders from the paths of his own husbandry; he passes through a desert without water, and a land destined to thirst, and he gathers unfruitfulness with his hands;''

and which are retained in the Syriac and Arabic version, but are not in the Hebrew text.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The great law of personal retribution (compare Mat 7:2). The Septuagint makes a curious addition to this verse, “My son, if thou wilt be wise for thyself, thou shalt be wise also for thy neighbors; but if thou turn out evil, thou alone shalt bear evil. He who resteth on lies shall guide the winds, and the same shall hunt after winged birds, for he hath left the ways of his own vineyard, and has gone astray with the wheels of his own husbandry. He goeth through a wilderness without water, and over a land set in thirsty places, and with his hands he gathereth barrenness.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Thou shalt be wise for thyself; thou dost not profit me, but thyself by it; I advise thee for thine own good.

Thou alone shalt bear it; the blame and mischief of it falls wholly upon thee, not upon me, or my word, or ministers who have warned thee.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

12. For thyself, etc. — There is often a feeling in the mind of children and pupils that their parents and teachers make requirements of them for selfish ends; that they and their teachers are two parties, with antagonistic interests. This is a very mischievous error. The more children and pupils can be made to feel that their own good is sought for, in all the means of instruction and discipline, the better: that if they obey and improve, they themselves will be the chief gainers; and if they are refractory and negligent they will be the great losers. This is, probably, the sentiment of the verse. Comp. Job_22:2; Job_35:6-8. On last clause, comp. Num_9:13; Jer_7:19; Gal_6:5; Pro_8:36. The Septuagint adds to this verse the following, not found in the Hebrew: “He that stays himself upon falsehood attempts to rule the winds, and the same will pursue birds in their flight; for he has forsaken the ways of his own vineyard, and he has caused the axles of his own husbandry to go astray; but he goes through a dry desert, and a land appointed to drought, and he gathers barrenness with his hands.”

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself. A transition verse. Wisdom will bring thee good; as thou hast laboured well, so will be thy reward. (1Co_3:8) The LXX (Syriac and Arabic), with the idea of perfecting the antithesis, adds, kai toiv plhsion , "My son, if thou art wise for thyself, thou shalt be wise also for thy neighbours which contains the great truth that good gifts should not be selfishly enjoyed, but used and dispensed for the advantage of others. (Gal_6:6) In support of our text we may quote Job_22:2, "Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself." But if thou scornest, thou alone shalt hear it; i.e. atone for it, bear the sin, as it is expressed in Num_9:13, "For every man shall bear his own burden". (Gal_6:5) Thus Wisdom ends her exhortation. Septuagint, "If thou turn out evil, thou alone shalt bear (antlhseiv ) evils." And then is added the following paragraph, which may possibly be derived from a Hebrew original, but seems more like a congeries made up from other passages, and foisted by some means into the Greek text: "He that stayeth himself on lies shepherdeth winds, and himself pursueth flying birds; for he hath left the ways of his own vineyard, and hath gone astray with the wheels of his own husbandry; and he goeth through a waterless desert, and over a land set in thirsty places, and with his hands he gathereth unfruitfulness.

True self-interest.

It is the duty of the Christian to bear his brother"s burden, and the duty of every man to love his neighbour as himself; it is also the privilege of the saint to lose his life for Christ"s sake, and to "spend and be spent" in the service of man. But there still remains a right and lawful, and even an obligatory, regard to self-interest. For one thing, if a man"s own heart and life are wrong, his work in the world must be wrong also.

I HE IS NOT TRULY WISE WHOSE OWN SOUL IS NOT SAFE.

1. He may know the truth. The wisdom that can unravel many mysteries is his. He has searched into the deep truths of revelation. A diligent reader of the Bible, he is well acquainted at least with the words that God teaches. But he has never regarded the practical bearing of all this truth. It has been to him but a shadow. Then his own soul may be wrecked, though the way to The haven is clear.

2. He may enlighten others. Perhaps he is a preacher of the gospel, and is able to hold up the torch to many a wayfarer. He is even urgent in pressing the truth upon his hearers. Or he is a champion for the defence of the truth, arguing vehemently with unbelievers. But all the while he never applies this truth to his own case. Saving others, he is himself a castaway. (1Co_9:27) The pilot leads the imperilled mariners home, but is drowned himself. Surely this is the height of folly!

II HE WHO IS TRULY WISE WILL PROFIT BY HIS WISDOM.

1. He will see the necessity of applying truth to himself. This will be a part of his wisdom. We are all sadly tempted to delude ourselves into a false sense of security, and we need light and guidance to show us our danger and our course of safety. It is a mark of God-given wisdom to choose that course.

2. He will recognize the practical bearings of truth. It will do little good to regard one"s self only as a sort of example to which certain truths are attached. Mere self-examination of the most lucid and honest character will not save our souls. We have to go a step further, and act according to the knowledge that we gain in the light of God"s truth.

3. He will find the application of wisdom directly helpful. When a man does not hold aloof from it as from some curiosity only to be inspected, but embraces the truth of Christ, taking it home to his own heart, he discovers that it is a saving truth. By the personal reception of this Divine wisdom he reaches the way of salvation. Above all, when we remember that Christ is "the Wisdom of God," we may see that for a man to receive that wisdom, i.e. to receive Christ, is to be wise for himself, because Christ brings the light of God"s truth, and Christ"s presence is the source of sure salvation.

Wisdom and folly.

In this short verse we have some valuable thoughts suggested respecting both wisdom and folly.

I THE DISINTERESTEDNESS OF WISDOM. If any one should urge against the claims of Wisdom that they are very high, urgent, oppressive, that God"s commandment is "exceeding broad;" if it be asked by the young, "Why fling these shadows on our path? why weigh us down with these responsibilities?" it may well be replied by Wisdom, "Your services are not necessary to me. "If I were hungry, I would not tell thee," etc.; if I plead with you, it is for your sake. You have need of my voice and my control; apart from me you cannot be blessed, you cannot realize the end of your being. I can do well without your devotion, but you cannot do without my favour. If you are wise, you will be wise for yourself.

II THE INALIENABLE CHARACTER OF WISDOM AS A POSSESSION. The wise man in the Book of Ecclesiastes laments that riches are things which a wise man may take much trouble to gather, but he does not know who may scatter them. A man may be laborious and frugal, but not for himself; all the good may go to others who come after him. Thus is it with various acquisitions. Men no sooner gain them than they leave them behind for others; e.g. the hero, his glory; the student, his learning; the conqueror or discoverer, the territory he has gained or found. But if a man is wise, he is wise for himself as well as for others; he has a prize of which no accident will rob him, and which death itself will not take from his hands. Once his, it is his forever it is an inalienable possession.

III THE PROFOUND NATURE OF TRUE WISDOM. There is a very shallow philosophy which assumes the name of wisdom, which invites us to stake everything on securing a comfortable and prosperous career in this world, leaving out of account the supreme realities of our obligations to God, our duty to our own spiritual and immortal nature, our responsibilities to other souls. This superficial and false teaching overlooks the fundamental fact that a man is more than his means, that ourself is greater than our circumstances, that it is a poor profit to gain a world and lose a soul, that if we are wise we shall be wise for ourselves.

IV THE STARTING POINT OF TRUE WISDOM. Some are speaking with indignation, not insincere, against so much insistence on a man"s seeking his own salvation. They say it is only a refined selfishness. It may be true that there are Christian teachers who enlarge on this aspect disproportionately; but it must ever remain a truth of great prominence that a man"s first duty to God is the duty he owes to himself. First, because his own soul is his primary and chief charge; and, secondly, because he can do little or nothing for the world till his own heart is right. If a man, therefore, will be wise, he must first be wise for himself.

V THE FATE OF FOLLY. "If thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it." This does not mean that only the sinner bears the consequences of his guilt that is deplorably untrue; sin is widespreading and far-reaching in its evil consequences it circulates and it descends. The passage means that the foolish man will have to bear alone the condemnation of his folly; every man that lives and dies impenitent must "bear his own burden" of penalty. The remorse and self-reproach of the future none will be able to divide; it must be borne by the sinner himself. There is One that once bore our transgressions for us, and will bear them away unto the land of forgetfulness now. C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For thyself - Thou dost not profit me but thyself.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

This wisdom, resting on the fear of God, is itself a blessing to the wise:

"If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself;

And if thou mockest, thou alone shalt bear it."

The lxx, with the Syr., mangle the thought of 12a, for they translate: if thou art wise for thyself, so also thou wilt be wise for thy neighbour. The dat. commodi לך means that it is for the personal advantage of the wise to be wise. The contrast expressed by Job 22:2.: not profitable to God, but to thyself (Hitzig), is scarcely intended, although, so far as the accentuation is antithetic, it is the nearest. The perf. ולצתּ is the hypothetical; Gesen. 126, 1. To bear anything, viz., anything sinful (חטא or עון), is equivalent to, to atone for it, Job 34:2, cf. Num 9:13; Eze 23:35. Also 12b is a contrast scarcely aimed at. Wisdom is its own profit to man; libertinism is its own disgrace. Man decides, whenever he prefers to be wise, or to be a mocker of religion and of virtue, regarding his own weal and woe. With this nota bene the discourse of Wisdom closes.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The consequences of our conduct, good or bad, chiefly reflect on ourselves. (Chapter 16:26.) God cannot be profited by us (Job 22:2-3 . Psa 16:2 . Luk 17:10 ); and he is infinitely above our injury (Job 35:6-7 .) The wise man’s light is a blessing to the Church and to the world. (Mat 5:14, Mat 5:16 .) But he is wise for himself — for his own advantage. (Pro 3:13-18 ; Pro 24:3 . Ecc 8:1 .) The scorner is a grief to his minister, and a stumbling to his church. But he hurts no one so much as himself. He alone shall bear it. (Pro 8:36 . Eze 18:20 . Luk 7:30 .) A surety indeed there is. But his scorning rejects him. He sinks therefore into perdition under a millstone of guilt without remedy. (Pro 29:1 . Heb 10:28-29 . Lev 24:15 .) This then is the ordinance of God. "Every man shall bear his own burden. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap:" life or death — a double harvest — for time and for eternity. (Gal 6:5, Gal 6:7-8 .)

Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.