Proverbs 10:8

8 A heart of wisdom will heed commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.

Proverbs 10:8 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 10:8

The wise in heart will receive commandments
Such who have true wisdom in the hidden part of the heart, of which the fear of the Lord is the beginning: these will not only, as good subjects, honour their king, and attend to his lawful commands; and, as dutiful children, regard those of their parents; and, as faithful servants, hearken to those of their masters; but, as such that fear the Lord, will receive and cheerfully obey the commandments of God and Christ;

but a prating fool shall fall;
like Diotrephes, that prated against the Apostle John and other saints. Or, "a fool of lips" F2; whose folly is proclaimed and made known by his lips; who, out of the abundance of it in his heart, speaks and pours it out by his lips: such an one falls into sin and into mischief; he falls into disgrace in this world, and into hell in the next. The Targum is,

``the fool by his lips shall be taken;''

as in a snare.


FOOTNOTES:

F2 (Mytpv lywa) "stultus labiis", Montanus

Proverbs 10:8 In-Context

6 Blessings [belong] to the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
7 The memory of righteousness [is] like a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.
8 A heart of wisdom will heed commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
9 Whoever walks in integrity will walk securely, but whoever follows perversity, his ways will be made known.
10 The winking of an eye causes trouble, and the foolishness of lips comes to ruin.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.