Proverbs 13:20

20 Walk with the wise and be wise, but as for the companion of fools, he 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 disgrace [belong to] him who ignores instruction, but he who guards reproof will be honored.
19 A desire {fulfilled} will be sweet to the soul, but an abomination of fools is turning from evil.
20 Walk with the wise and be wise, but as for the companion of fools, he will suffer harm.
21 Misfortune will pursue sinners, but the righteous {will be rewarded with prosperity}.
22 He who is good will leave an inheritance to {his grandchildren}, and stored up for the righteous [is] the wealth of a sinner.
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.