Proverbs 18:2

2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.

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Proverbs 18:2 in Other Translations

KJV

2 A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

ESV

2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

NLT

2 Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.

MSG

2 Fools care nothing for thoughtful discourse; all they do is run off at the mouth.

CSB

2 A fool does not delight in understanding, but only wants to show off his opinions.

Proverbs 18:2 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 18:2

A fool hath no delight in understanding
In natural understanding, and in the improvement of his mind in it; he delights not in books, nor in the conversation of men of learning and sense: or in spiritual understanding, in the understanding of spiritual things; these are foolishness to a natural man; nor does he delight in reading the Scriptures, nor in hearing the word, and attendance on it in the house of God, but is weary of such exercises; but that his heart may discover itself;
and the folly that is in it: such men only desire to have some knowledge and understanding, to make a show of it, that they may be thought to be wise, and to be capable of talking of things as if they understood them, when it is only to the exposing of themselves and their ignorance; some persons attain to no more learning and knowledge than just to be capable to show that they are fools. Or, "but in the discovery of his heart" ^F11; he delights in discovering that; not the wisdom, but the folly that is in it.

FOOTNOTES:

F11 (wbl twlgthb Ma yk) "sed in patefacere cor ejus", Vatablus; "sed in detectione cordis sui", Piscator; "sed sane ut enudet cor suum", Schultens.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible