Proverbs 9:8 Commentary and Bible Study

That seems to be a quotation – the received wisdom of the day. Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Yes, that is probably the received wisdom, but I am going to do it anyway, wisdom implies here. Oh yes, I know the general standard, the general observation of human beings, that if you make it your business to tell people where they go wrong, if you make it your business to preach to people in spiritual and moral matters, then there will be vast numbers who will despise you, and will scorn you. Yes, I am well aware of that, wisdom seems to be saying here, but nevertheless, I am going to do it. The gospel is the very means of turning those who scorn into those who praise the Lord, but there must first be a deep work of conviction in the heart by which the Spirit teaches the scorner how fearful what they do is. They are led to repent of these heart attitudes against the Lord, not just of outward sins. There are also those who continue to scorn, and eventually these must be left to their cynicism, and God may well harden their hearts finally.