Proverbs 9:12

“If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself, etc.] He is wise that harkens to Wisdom’s advice, that obeys her call, turns in to her house, and becomes her guest; and such an one is wise for himself, it is for his own good, profit, and advantage; for the good of his soul, for his present peace and comfort, and for his future bliss and happiness. It is not for her own sake that Wisdom presses her exhortations, and is so urgent on men to take her counsel and advice; it is for their own good; their wisdom is not profitable to her, but to themselves; they, and they only, reap the advantage and usefulness of it; (see <182202>Job 22:2,3). The Syriac and Arabic versions add, “and unto thy…”

“You are mainly concerned in your own conduct.”

“The great law of personal retribution (compare Matthew 7:2). The Septuagint makes a curious addition to this verse, “My son, if thou wilt be wise for thyself, thou shalt be wise also for thy neighbors; but if thou turn out evil, thou alone shalt bear evil. He who resteth on lies shall guide the winds, and the same shall hunt after winged birds, for he hath left the ways of his own vineyard, and has gone astray with the wheels of his own husbandry. He goeth through a wilderness without water, and over a land set in thirsty places, and with his hands he gathereth barrenness.” return to 'Top of Page'”

“For thyself - Thou dost not profit me but thyself. Proverbs 9:14”

“Pro 16:26; Job 22:2, Job 22:3, Job 22:21, Job 35:6, Job 35:7; Isa 28:22; Eze 18:20; Pe2 3:3, Pe2 3:4, Pe2 3:16 Proverbs 9:13”

“This wisdom, resting on the fear of God, is itself a blessing to the wise: "If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; And if thou mockest, thou alone shalt bear it." The lxx, with the Syr., mangle the thought of 12a, for they translate: if thou art wise for thyself, so also thou wilt be wise for thy neighbour. The dat. commodi לך means that it is for the personal advantage of the wise to be wise. The contrast expressed by Job 22:2.: not profitable to God, but to thyself (Hitzig), is scarcely intended, although, so far as the accentuation is antithetic, it is the nearest. The perf. ולצתּ is the hypothetical; Gesen. 126, 1. To bear anything, viz., anything sinful (חטא or עון), is equivalent…”