Proverbs 17:10 Commentary and Bible Study

A man of understanding is not necessarily a man who does not need correction and who has no faults to be reproved, for every son of Adam comes into the world with a fallen nature. A man of understanding is a man who has trusted in Christ for salvation and in whose heart God has done a work of grace. As a result he knows himself and is realistic about the sin that still resides within him. When he is rebuked he does not deny all guilt and instantly respond with self-justification, but he examines what has been said to him carefully, and looks for the truth in the complaint. He fears to deny what is said critically about him for he would rather know about and address the residual evil in his heart than pretend it is not there. True relationships between people who are honest and straightforward with each other have much mutual correction in them, because all sorts of things will go wrong. We cannot afford to be touchy and oversensitive because a large part of God’s sanctifying influence on us will come through others. We must be humble and responsive if someone puts a finger on our faults and realise that it is for our ultimate good. If correction in a relationship is all one way then a person could become domineering, but if it is two way and is received with humility then we will shape each other. This is true in marriage where husband and wife must both feel free to admonish each other, and to receive admonition.The fool does not profit from any amount of correction for every criticism is met with self-justification and every reproof is argued against. He never lets another person deal faithfully with his heart. His pride will not let another person’s word have access to his heart, so that the other is credited with seeing more clearly into his own heart than he does himself. For if he had seen this fault before and if he had integrity he would surely already have addressed it. Either he dismisses the reproof on the basis of counter criticism of the one delivering the reproof, or he argues that there are no grounds for the criticism, or he simply refuses to listen. The man of understanding fears to behave in this way because he knows the wickedness of his heart and therefore he works hard to find some truth in the rebuke lest he waste it. He would rather suffer the discomfort of a rebuke from man than face the much heavier blow of the judgment of God. But the fool is resistant to the rebukes of men and of God.