Proverbs 1:22 kjv
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1:22 nkjv
"How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.
Proverbs 1:22 niv
"How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1:22 esv
"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1:22 nlt
"How long, you simpletons,
will you insist on being simpleminded?
How long will you mockers relish your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
Proverbs 1 22 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference || :---- | :--- | :-------- || Prov 1:7 | The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. | The foundation of wisdom; fools reject it from the outset. || Prov 1:20-21 | Wisdom cries aloud in the street... she raises her voice. | Wisdom's public and persistent call to all. || Prov 8:1-5 | Does not wisdom call out...? To you, O people, I call. | Wisdom's universal appeal and lament for mankind. || Prov 9:4 | “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” | Wisdom invites the simple to turn. || Prov 9:6 | “Forsake foolishness, and live, and go in the way of insight.” | A direct call to abandon foolishness for life. || Prov 14:15 | The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. | Definition of the simple's gullibility. || Prov 22:3 | The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. | Consequences of being simple and lacking foresight. || Prov 27:22 | Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle... his foolishness will not depart from him. | Emphasizes the deep-seated nature of a fool's folly. || Prov 3:34 | Toward the scoffers he is scornful, but to the humble he gives grace. | God's disposition towards scoffers. || Prov 9:7-8 | Whoever corrects a scoffer gets dishonor... Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you. | Danger of trying to correct scoffers. || Prov 19:29 | Condemnations are for scoffers, and blows for the backs of fools. | God's judgment awaiting scoffers. || Prov 21:24 | "Arrogant, haughty, scoffer" is the name of the man who acts with insolent pride. | Characterizes the scoffer's inner state. || Prov 24:9 | The devising of foolishness is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind. | Devising folly is sin, the scoffer is hated. || Psa 1:1 | Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers. | A warning against association with scoffers. || 2 Pet 3:3 | Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking. | Future rise of scoffers and their nature. || Jude 1:18 | ...in the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. | Reinforces the prophetic warning about scoffers. || Psa 14:1 | The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." | The spiritual depth of the fool's rejection. || Prov 10:23 | Doing wickedness is sport to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding. | Contrasting priorities of fools vs. the wise. || Jer 5:21 | Hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see... | God's address to the morally obtuse. || Rom 1:28 | Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind. | Consequences of hating knowledge/rejecting truth. || Eph 4:18 | They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. | A NT description of those who hate knowledge. || John 3:19-20 | And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light. | People actively choosing to reject truth due to their deeds. |
Proverbs 1 verses
Proverbs 1 22 Meaning
Proverbs 1:22 is Lady Wisdom's direct and urgent address, lamenting the persistent foolishness and rebellious hearts of those who reject her counsel. She rhetorically asks "How long?" to three distinct groups: the "simple ones" who love their naivety and susceptibility, the "scoffers" who delight in mocking truth and virtue, and the "fools" who actively hate knowledge and refuse instruction. This verse highlights that resistance to wisdom is not mere ignorance but a chosen, deeply ingrained disposition of the will, leading to self-destruction.
Proverbs 1 22 Context
Proverbs 1:22 is central to Lady Wisdom's inaugural public address, beginning in verse 20. She proclaims her truth loudly in public spaces – streets, squares, and city gates – ensuring her message is accessible to all. Her previous statements (vv. 20-21) highlight her pervasive presence and availability. Verse 22 then marks a rhetorical shift from invitation to lament and accusation, confronting those who steadfastly ignore or despise her. It sets the stage for the severe consequences detailed in verses 23-33 for those who refuse her call, emphasizing the critical importance of hearing and obeying her instruction for one's life. The overall context of Proverbs 1 introduces the book's purpose (Prov 1:1-7) and presents a foundational choice between walking in wisdom or embracing folly.
Proverbs 1 22 Word analysis
- How long (עַד־מָתַ֣י - 'ad-matay): A rhetorical interrogative expression that conveys lament, impatience, and an urgent plea for change. It signifies a long duration of the deplorable state and highlights Wisdom's exasperation at their persistent self-harm.
- O simple ones (פְּתָיִם - pethai'im): Refers to the piti (singular), those who are open, naive, gullible, or easily deceived. Not necessarily inherently malicious, but lacking discretion, discernment, and firm conviction, making them susceptible to negative influences (Prov 14:15). Their choice to "love" this state indicates an embrace of ignorance.
- Will you love (תֶּאֱהָב֖וּ - te'ehavu): Implies a willful affection or choice. It's not passive ignorance but an active embrace of their naive state, showing a contentment with remaining undiscerned.
- Being simple (פֶּתִי - peti): Refers back to the state of gullibility and open-mindedness to all influences without discernment.
- How long (עַד־מָתַי - 'ad-matay): Repeated for emphasis, underscoring the duration and the speaker's anguish.
- Scoffers (לֵצִים - letzim): From lus, meaning to mock, scorn, or babble. These are arrogant individuals who mock wisdom, righteous counsel, and even God himself. They derive pleasure from derision and ridicule, viewing serious matters with contempt (Prov 3:34; Psa 1:1). Their heart is hardened against correction.
- Delight (תַּחְמְדֽוּ - tachmedu): From chamad, meaning to covet, desire, or take pleasure in. This verb emphasizes the deep enjoyment and satisfaction scoffers find in their mocking behavior, indicating an intentional and passionate commitment to their cynicism.
- Their scoffing (לָצוֹן - lason): The act or lifestyle of mocking, derision, and disrespect for what is holy or true.
- And fools (וּכְסִילִים - ukhesilim): Refers to kesilim (singular kesil), the most reprehensible category among the three. These are not merely ignorant but morally obtuse, stubborn, and actively resistant to instruction. They are self-willed, spiritually dull, and inherently perverse in their judgment (Prov 1:7; Psa 14:1). They choose folly.
- Hate (תִּשְׂנְא֥וּ - tisne'u): A strong verb indicating active, passionate aversion or enmity. This is not passive indifference but an intense, determined rejection of knowledge, revealing a profound spiritual sickness.
- Knowledge (דָעַת - da'at): More than just facts, da'at here refers to practical wisdom, discernment, understanding, and moral insight. It is tied to knowing God and His ways, foundational for living a righteous life according to biblical principles. The hatred of it shows a fundamental spiritual rebellion.
Word-group analysis
- "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?": This phrase highlights a chosen state. The "simple" are not victims of circumstance but actively embrace their susceptibility to deception, enjoying their uncritical nature. This sets them apart from mere ignorance, emphasizing moral responsibility.
- "How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing": This phrase describes an even deeper spiritual perversion. Scoffers actively derive pleasure from their disdain for wisdom and truth. Their delight indicates a heart hardened against any form of correction or divine instruction, enjoying their rebellion.
- "And fools hate knowledge?": This signifies the most extreme form of rejection. Fools are morally perverse, their intellectual and spiritual faculties warped by their active antagonism towards true knowledge, which stems from God. Their "hatred" points to an intentional, strong aversion, leaving little room for persuasion. These three categories show a progression of resistance to wisdom, culminating in overt hostility and deliberate self-destruction.
Proverbs 1 22 Bonus section
The progression from "simple ones" to "scoffers" to "fools" illustrates a deepening moral and spiritual hardening. The simple are susceptible; the scoffer is actively contemptuous; the fool is utterly hostile and depraved. While the simple might still be reachable (Prov 9:4), the scoffer and particularly the fool demonstrate a profound resistance, where true knowledge and wisdom are met with disdain or outright animosity. This verse serves as a solemn warning that a sustained embrace of folly leads to increasing recalcitrance and a diminished capacity to discern or desire truth, ultimately hardening the heart against God Himself. This dynamic finds parallels in the New Testament warnings against spiritual blindness and a reprobate mind (Rom 1:28).
Proverbs 1 22 Commentary
Proverbs 1:22 encapsulates Lady Wisdom's urgent appeal and deep sorrow over humanity's stubborn resistance. Her repeated question "How long?" is both a lament and a challenge, underscoring the duration of foolishness and the plea for a turning point. She identifies three escalating levels of unresponsiveness: the "simple ones," who passively love their naive, easily swayed state; the "scoffers," who actively relish in deriding truth and those who seek it; and the "fools," who are morally corrupt, stubbornly resistant, and display a passionate hatred for genuine knowledge rooted in the fear of the LORD. This verse reveals that opposition to wisdom is not simply an intellectual deficiency but a deep-seated moral and spiritual disposition of the heart, an intentional choice to embrace folly over divine truth, with severe, self-inflicted consequences awaiting those who persist. It highlights God's patience in extending the call even to the rebellious.