Proverbs 13:20

20 1He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.

Proverbs 13:20 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 13:20

He that walketh with wise [men] shall be wise
Who is a companion of them that fear the Lord; converses frequently with them in private about spiritual and experimental things, and walks with them in public in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord; he by those means grows wiser and wiser, gains a large stock of spiritual knowledge and experience; for this holds good both in natural and spiritual wisdom, a man of any capacity at all will improve by keeping wise company; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed;
the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "shall become like them"; be a fool as they are, and grow still more and more foolish. The Septuagint version is, "shall be known"; known by the company he keeps to be a fool also: or rather, "shall be broken" F20; ruined and destroyed, "evil communications corrupt good manners", ( 1 Corinthians 15:33 ) , and so bring to ruin and destruction.


FOOTNOTES:

F20 (ewry) "conteretur", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Mercerus, Gejerus; "conquassabitur", Cocceius; "fragetur", Michaelis; "infringetur", Schultens, so Ben Melech.

Proverbs 13:20 In-Context

18 Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards reproof will be honored.
19 Desire realized is sweet to the soul, But it is an abomination to fools to turn away from evil.
20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will suffer harm.
21 Adversity pursues sinners, But the righteous will be rewarded with prosperity.
22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.

Cross References 1

  • 1. Proverbs 2:20; Proverbs 15:31
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