Proverbs 10:8

November 29, 2023

“The wise in heart will receive commands, but a prating fool will fall.”

This particular passage of Scripture was written by King Solomon who was one of the wisest kings that ever lived. The entire chapter out of the book of Proverbs is Solomon giving some vital knowledge that every single one of us need to pay attention to. Leading up to this verse, we are given some stipulations and guidelines that the Lord is commanding every believer of Jesus Christ to follow.

For instance:

Proverbs 10:2 “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.”

Proverbs 10:3 “The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked.”

Proverbs 10:6 “Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked.”

Proverbs 10:7 “The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.”

Here we can see that Solomon is giving us passages out of Proverbs that have mandates and decrees attached to them. We can clearly determine that the word wicked is used in every verse. The reason why this is important to point out is because the Lord wants us to definitively see that wickedness is a road that will lead to destruction.

God is contrasting the difference between people that are upright in His sight and the wicked people that could care less about the Lord or His commandments. One thing that we never want to forget is that God knows everything including the condition of your heart. There is nothing that can be hidden from Him. You will find yourself in a dangerous place if you do things your way and refuse to take God’s Word seriously. He puts His Word even above His own Name, Psalm 138:2.

Over and over again throughout the entirety of the Holy Bible we come across passages of Scripture that disclose what can happen if you don’t choose to live your life according to the principles of God. Spiritual warfare is a daily reality whether you are a believer or a non-believer but for every tactic that the devil throws your way, God has a remedy for it.

The problem is that a lot of Christians do not study the Word of God for themselves; they don’t read it or apply it to their daily lives. So what ends up happening is they are being completely destroyed by the enemy and his schemes. Hosea 4:6 makes it very clear when it states, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge…”

The children of God are continually going under demonic oppression because of their lack of knowledge when it comes to the Lord’s Word. I know firsthand what can happen when you disobey the stipulations that God has given us as a form of protection. Even though I was not aware of what I was getting myself into, it was my fault that I allowed the devil to legally come into my life and wreak havoc.

Never ever forget the fact that the enemy is coming to steal, kill, and destroy you by any means necessary, John 10:10. That is why studying the Bible is so crucial because it gives you the weapons of warfare that you can use against the devil’s devices. The bottom line is: no matter what the enemy tries to do to you, through the Name of Jesus Christ we have all power and authority over the devil and his entire kingdom, Luke 10:19.

Now let’s take a closer look at the primary passage of Scripture that I am highlighting in the book of Proverbs. The words “the wise” being used is the Hebrew word “ḥāḵām” which is means: wise (ethically and religiously), wise in mind. The words “in heart” being used is the Hebrew word “lēḇ” which means: specific reference to one’s own mind, will, heart, and understanding.

The words “will receive” is the Hebrew word “lāqaḥ” which means: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, and acquire. The word “commandments” being used is the Hebrew word “miṣvâ” which means: law, ordinance, and precept, and commandment of man: king.

So when we piece this first part of this verse of Scripture together we can conclude that Solomon is letting us know through the Holy Spirit that wise people that are sensible, living upright ethically and morally submitting their heart (mind, will, and emotions) to God’s commands and ordinances are the ones that will avoid a fall.

Wise men are not afraid of receiving and acquiring wise counsel and we can see this truth described in multiple passages of Scripture both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is human nature for a person to want to use foolish lips when being tried by people that have ill intentions but a man of understanding will seek spiritual growth applying the precepts of God to their daily life.

Now let’s take a deeper look into the last part of the Scripture out of Proverbs that states, “…but a prating fool will fall.” The word “prating” being used is the Hebrew word “śāp̄â” which means: lip, human organ of speech. The word “fool” being used is the Hebrew word “‘ĕvîl” which means: to be foolish, one who despises wisdom. The words “will fall” bring used is the Hebrew word “lāḇaṭ” which means: thrust down, out, or away.

So what we can determine from this last part of this Proverb is that Solomon is telling us that a perverse tongue leads to that person being labeled a babbling fool because of their inability to tame their mouth. Their lack of wisdom when it comes to God’s Word will lead to their own destruction. When you look at life through your own eyes instead of viewing it through the lens of Jesus Christ it will prevent you from living a life submitted to the Lord including the words that you speak.

A person that has fool’s lips constantly wants to express their opinion without ceasing. The problem is that you can’t possibly hear the counsel of the Lord if you don’t pause for a second to listen to what He is saying. The mouth of a righteous man also has a wise heart knowing that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The Word of God has to be your way of life and that is why it is imperative that you read your Word daily, study it, digest it, and apply it.

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

Who is the Prophet Isaiah

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back