How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways?The term "simple ones" refers to those who are naive or inexperienced in wisdom and understanding. In the biblical context, simplicity is not a virtue but a state of ignorance or lack of discernment. The question "How long" implies a call to repentance and change, urging the simple to seek wisdom. This echoes the call of wisdom throughout Proverbs, where wisdom is personified and calls out to those who lack understanding (
Proverbs 8:1-5). The love for "simple ways" suggests a preference for ease and comfort over the pursuit of wisdom, which requires effort and discipline. This reflects the broader biblical theme of choosing the narrow path of righteousness over the broad path of folly (
Matthew 7:13-14).
How long will scoffers delight in their scorn
"Scoffers" are those who mock or ridicule wisdom and truth. In the ancient Near Eastern culture, scoffing was a serious offense as it showed a hardened heart resistant to correction. The delight in scorn indicates a deep-seated pride and arrogance, as scoffers take pleasure in rejecting wisdom and leading others astray. This behavior is condemned throughout Scripture, as seen inPsalm 1:1, which warns against walking in the counsel of the wicked or sitting in the seat of scoffers. The rhetorical question "How long" serves as a divine lament, expressing God's patience and desire for repentance, yet also highlighting the urgency of turning away from such destructive behavior.
and fools hate knowledge?
"Fools" in Proverbs are characterized by their rejection of wisdom and understanding. The hatred of knowledge signifies a willful ignorance and a refusal to learn or grow. This is not merely an intellectual deficiency but a moral failing, as true knowledge in the biblical sense involves a relationship with God and adherence to His commandments (Proverbs 9:10). The fool's disdain for knowledge is contrasted with the wise, who treasure and seek after it (Proverbs 2:1-6). This phrase underscores the biblical principle that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, and without this foundation, knowledge is despised and rejected. The call to abandon foolishness and embrace wisdom is a recurring theme in Scripture, pointing to the ultimate fulfillment of wisdom in Jesus Christ, who is described as the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24).
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Simple OnesIn the context of Proverbs, "simple ones" refers to those who are naive or inexperienced, lacking wisdom and discernment. The Hebrew word used here is "p?thiy," which implies an openness to influence, often leading to gullibility.
2.
ScoffersThese are individuals who mock or ridicule wisdom and instruction. The Hebrew term "lêts" suggests a person who is arrogant and dismissive of truth.
3.
FoolsIn Proverbs, "fools" are those who reject wisdom and knowledge. The Hebrew word "k?ciyl" indicates someone who is morally deficient and obstinate in their ignorance.
4.
WisdomWhile not a person, wisdom is personified throughout Proverbs as calling out to the simple, scoffers, and fools, urging them to turn from their ways.
5.
SolomonTraditionally, Solomon is considered the author of Proverbs, known for his God-given wisdom and his role as the king of Israel.
Teaching Points
The Call to WisdomProverbs 1:22 is a call to abandon simplicity, scorn, and foolishness in favor of wisdom. It challenges believers to seek understanding and discernment actively.
The Danger of ComplacencyThe verse warns against complacency in spiritual growth. Loving simple ways and delighting in scorn can lead to a hardened heart resistant to God's truth.
The Importance of KnowledgeFools hate knowledge, but as believers, we are called to love and pursue it. Knowledge of God and His Word is foundational to living a life that honors Him.
Responding to CorrectionThe verse implies a need for humility and openness to correction. Believers should be willing to learn and grow, even when it challenges their current understanding.
The Role of CommunityEngaging with a community of believers can help guard against the pitfalls of simplicity, scorn, and foolishness by providing accountability and encouragement.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Proverbs 1:22?
2.How can we avoid being "simpletons" as warned in Proverbs 1:22?
3.What does Proverbs 1:22 teach about the dangers of rejecting wisdom?
4.How does Proverbs 1:22 connect with James 1:5 on seeking wisdom?
5.In what ways can we help others who "delight in mockery"?
6.How can we apply Proverbs 1:22 to our daily decision-making?
7.What does Proverbs 1:22 reveal about human nature and folly?
8.How does Proverbs 1:22 challenge modern views on wisdom and knowledge?
9.Why does Proverbs 1:22 emphasize the rejection of wisdom?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Proverbs 1?
11.What does the Bible say about fools?
12.What does "Scoffers in the Last Days" signify?
13.Proverbs 23:9 says not to speak to a fool; does this conflict with the New Testament’s call to share truth with everyone?
14.Proverbs 26:7: Does the idea of a proverb in a fool’s mouth being “useless” conflict with other Bible passages that suggest all wisdom is beneficial?What Does Proverbs 1:22 Mean
How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways?“ How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways?”
• “Simple ones” are undiscerning people who drift with the moment (Proverbs 7:7).
• The question “How long?” captures God’s patience stretched thin—He waits, yet time is running out (Isaiah 55:6).
• To “love” simplicity is to cling to spiritual immaturity even after truth has shone—compareHebrews 5:12-14, where prolonged infancy is rebuked.
• The Lord calls the simple to leave naïveté and walk in wisdom (Proverbs 9:4-6;James 1:5).
Application cues:
– Spot the areas where you excuse ignorance.
– Embrace the light you already have; additional light follows obedience (Psalm 119:130).
How long will scoffers delight in their scorn“ How long will scoffers delight in their scorn”
• Scoffers aren’t merely mistaken; they mock what is holy (Psalm 1:1;2 Peter 3:3).
• “Delight” shows they find pleasure in tearing down; ridicule has become their identity (Proverbs 21:24).
• God’s Word makes clear that persistent scoffing invites sudden judgment (Proverbs 29:1;Jude 18-19).
Practical reflections:
– Avoid entertainment or company that normalizes sneering at righteousness.
– Replace sarcasm with speech that builds (Ephesians 4:29).
and fools hate knowledge?“ and fools hate knowledge?”
• A fool, in biblical terms, is morally obstinate, not merely uninformed (Psalm 14:1).
• Hatred of knowledge is outright rebellion against the fear of the LORD—the foundation of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 18:2).
• Rejecting truth hardens the heart and darkens the mind (Romans 1:21-22;Hosea 4:6).
Steps forward:
– Cultivate a teachable spirit; invite correction (Proverbs 12:1).
– Daily feed on Scripture, aligning mind and life with revealed truth (John 17:17).
summaryProverbs 1:22 is a loving but urgent wake-up call. God exposes three postures—naïve complacency, cynical ridicule, and stubborn ignorance—then pleads for change before it is too late. The verse invites every listener to trade simplicity for wisdom, scoffing for reverence, and folly for a wholehearted pursuit of God’s truth.
(22)
How long. . .--Three classes of persons are here addressed: (1)
simpleones, open to good influences, but also to evil (
Proverbs 1:4); (2)
scorners(
l?tsim)
,men who despised what was holy, priding themselves on their cleverness in so doing (
Proverbs 14:6), who avoided the wise, and held themselves above their advice (
Proverbs 15:12), proud, arrogant men (
Proverbs 21:24). The name first appears at the time of Solomon, when the prosperity of the nation was favourable to the growth of religious indifference and scepticism. Isaiah had to deal with them in his day, too (
Isaiah 28:14). (3)
Fools(
khesilim)
,dull, stupid persons, stolidly confident in their own wisdom.
Verse 22. -
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? etc. From this verse to the end of the chapter the sacred writer puts before us the words of Wisdom herself. The discourse begins in the same way as in
Psalm 4:2 (Zockler), and the classification of the persons addressed - the simple, the scorners, and the sinners - closely resembles that of
Psalm 1:1. In the order there is a progression from the least to the most culpable.
The simple (
פְתָיִם,
p'thayim)
, as in ver. 4, those who are indifferent through thoughtlessness and inconsiderateness, and are thereby open to evil.
The scorners (
לֵצֵים,
letsim); or,
mockers, the same as the (
לָצון,
latson) "scornful men" of
Proverbs 29:8, derived from the root
לּוּצ (
luts), "to deride, mock," probably by imitating the voice in derision. The mockers are those who hold all things in derision, both human and Divine, who contemn God's admonitions, and treat with ridicule both threatenings and promises alike.
Fools;
כְסִילִים (
ch'silim), a different word from the
evilim of ver. 7, but signifying much the same,
i.e. the obdurate, the hardened,
stolidi, those who walk after the sight of their eyes and the imagination of their hearts - a class not ignorant of knowledge, but hating it because of the restraint it puts them under. The word occurs in
Proverbs 17:10, in the sense of the incorrigible; in
Proverbs 26:3, 4 as a term of the greatest contempt. The
enallage, or interchange of tenses in the original - the verbs "love" and "hate" being future, and "delight" being perfect - is not reproducible in English. The perfect is used interchangeably with the future where the action or state is represented as first coming to pass or in progress, and, as Zockler remarks, may be inchoative, and so be rendered "become fond of," instead of "be fond of." But it appears to represent not so much a state or action first coming to pass as in progress (see Geseuius, 'Gram.,' § 126, 3). Bottcher (§ 948, 2) translates it by
concupiverint, i.e. "How long shall ye have delighted in scorning?" The futures express "love" and "hate" as habitual sentiments (Delitzsch). It is to be noted that the language of Wisdom, in vers. 22 and 23, is expressive of the most tender and earnest solicitude.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
“Howעַד־(‘aḏ-)Preposition
Strong's 5704:As far as, even to, up to, until, whilelong,מָתַ֣י ׀(mā·ṯay)Interrogative
Strong's 4970:Extent, whenO simple ones,פְּתָיִם֮(pə·ṯā·yim)Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 6612:Simple, perhaps open-mindedwill you loveתְּֽאֵהֲב֫וּ(tə·’ê·hă·ḇū)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 157:To have affection fsimplicity?פֶ֥תִי(p̄e·ṯî)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6612:Simple, perhaps open-mindedHow long will scoffersוְלֵצִ֗ים(wə·lê·ṣîm)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 3887:Ambassador, have in derision, interpreter, make a mock, mockerdelightחָמְד֣וּ(ḥā·mə·ḏū)Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2530:To desire, take pleasure inin their scornלָ֭צוֹן(lā·ṣō·wn)Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3944:A scorningand foolsוּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים(ū·ḵə·sî·lîm)Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3684:Stupid fellow, dullard, foolhateיִשְׂנְאוּ־(yiś·nə·’ū-)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 8130:To hateknowledge?דָֽעַת׃(ḏā·‘aṯ)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1847:Knowledge
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OT Poetry: Proverbs 1:22 How long you simple ones will you (Prov. Pro Pr) 
