Proverbs 12: 15 Seek Wise Counsel…

This verse is another contrast between those that God sees as being foolish and the ones He sees as being wise.

Proverbs 12: 15 (NKJV)

15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

But he who heeds counsel is wise.

Here are the definitions of the main words in these verses: 

the way: the path

fool: One who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding; opposite of wise

right: Most favorable, desirable, or convenient

heeds: pays attention to; listens to and considers

counsel: Advice or guidance, especially as solicited from a knowledgeable person

wise: 1. possessing, showing, or prompted by wisdom or discernment 2. prudent; sensible

Using these definitions, we see that people who are deficient in judgment and understanding choose paths that THEY feel is most favorable or convenient for them. They base their path in life on their feelings instead of sound judgment.

In contrast, the person who shows wisdom or discernment and is sensible, will listen to and pay attention to advice or guidance from a knowledgeable person.

As we saw in the first several chapters of Proverbs, God illustrated that the wisdom that comes from Him and studying His Word is the true wisdom available in this world. Since He created this world, He knows what will help us get through our life in it, in ways where He can lead and bless us.

We must be very careful to base the way we act and the things we do in this life, on what God says and not on what we “feel like doing” from one minute to the next. 

Proverbs 3:1-12 (N I V)

Benefits of Wisdom 

1 My son, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in your heart,

2 for they will prolong your life many years

and bring you prosperity.

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart. 

4 Then you will win favor and a good name

in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth,

with the firstfruits of all your crops;

10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

and your vats will brim over with new wine.

11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline

and do not resent his rebuke,

12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves,

as a father, the son he delights in.

Proverbs 12: 12 Wanting and Getting

Proverbs 12: 12 (NKJV)

12 The wicked covet the catch of evil men,

But the root of the righteous yields fruit.

Here are today’s Definitions of the main words:

wicked: 1. Evil by nature and in practice 2. Highly offensive; obnoxious

covet: long for, desire, fancy, envy, crave, aspire to, yearn for, thirst for, begrudge, hanker after, lust after, set your heart on, have your eye on, would give your eyeteeth for

catch: 1. To capture or seize, especially after a chase. 2. To take by or as if by trapping or snaring. 3. To take hold of, especially forcibly or suddenly 4. To hold, as by snagging or entangling 5. To deceive

evil: 1. Morally bad or wrong; wicked 2. Causing ruin, injury, or pain; harmful 3. Characterized by or indicating future misfortune; ominous 4. Bad or blameworthy by report; infamous 5. Characterized by anger or spite; malicious

root: An essential part or element; the basic core

righteous: Morally upright; without guilt or sin

yields: 1. a. To give forth by or as if by a natural process, especially by cultivation b. To furnish as return for effort or investment; be productive

fruit: Result; outcome (in this usage of the word)

Using these definitions, we see that those that are evil by nature, and in practice, lust after or crave, the things that other morally bad and evil, malicious men have captured, often through trapping or deceiving others. God says, though, that the basic core or spirit of those that are morally upright, will produce or cultivate good results and outcomes. This would come through the natural process of having God furnish the return on the investment put in through living in Godly ways and with God given wisdom.

This is the basic reason that God put in the Ten Commandments, that we shouldn’t covet, for it breeds evil.  If we follow God and HIS ways, we will be blessed.

Proverbs 12: 8 (NKJV) Commended or Despised?

We have choices in the way we live our lives. We can live in ways that will bring commendations our way, or we can live in ways that make others despise us.

Proverbs 12: 8

8 A man will be commended according to his wisdom,

But he who is of a perverse heart will be despised.

Here are the definitions of the main words in today’s Bible verse as found in the Online Dictionary:

commended: To express approval of; praise.

according: 1. To grant, especially as being due or appropriate 2. To bestow upon

perverse: 1. Directed away from what is right or good; perverted. 2. Obstinately persisting in an error or fault; wrongly self-willed or stubborn. 3. Marked by a disposition to oppose and contradict. 4. Cranky; peevish.

heart: 1. Emotional constitution, basic disposition, or character 2. The most important or essential part

despised: 1. To regard with contempt or scorn 2. To dislike intensely; loathed 3. To regard as unworthy of one's interest or concern

As we have seen in past studies, we gain wisdom as we study God’s ways and live according to His precepts. He also promises to give us wisdom if we ask for it. When we do these things, we become more and more like Him, taking on many of His attributes. The wiser we get, the more we realize that God is the one that helps us to become more and more like Him and we can’t take the credit for it.

Today’s verse tells us that we will receive approval or have praise granted to, or bestowed upon, us in accordance with the amount of wisdom that our lives show, but those whose most important or essential disposition or character is perverted, contradictory, wrongly self-willed, stubborn, cranky or peevish will be regarded by others as contemptible. They will end up being disliked, loathed, or regarded as unworthy of interest or concern by others.

We have the choice to turn to God and study His ways to become wise and receive approval, or to continue to live in self-willed stubborn ways, and end up becoming contemptible.

Proverbs 12:1 (NKJV) Knowledge or Stupidity

Today, we are starting a new chapter in Proverbs, and this first verse speaks of the difference between those that thirst for knowledge and those that reject correction or training.

Proverbs 12:1

1 Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge,

But he who hates correction is stupid.

instruction: 1. a direction or order 2. the process or act of imparting knowledge; teaching; education

knowledge: 1. The state or fact of knowing. 2. Familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study. 3. The sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned.

correction: 1. The act or process of correcting. 2. Something offered or substituted for a mistake or fault

stupid: 1. Slow to learn or understand; obtuse. 2. Tending to make poor decisions or careless mistakes. 3. Marked by a lack of intelligence or care; foolish or careless

Using the definitions of the main words in today’s verse, we find that those that love receiving directions or orders that help them to learn will find that they will come to love HAVING that knowledge… it comes in handy so often somewhere along the line. Others also end up looking up to knowledgeable people.

In contrast, those that dislike or “hate” being corrected and being taught correctly, will find that they will be slower to learn. They will also tend to make poor decisions or careless mistakes.

As we have seen in so many verses in this book, God wants us to seek wisdom and knowledge BECAUSE He doesn’t want us to make poor decisions and careless mistakes throughout our lives. He wants us to have abundantly blessed lives because He loves us.

Proverbs 11: 31 Reap What You Sow

Proverbs 11: 31 (NKJV)

31 If the righteous will be recompensed on the earth,

How much more the ungodly and the sinner.

recompense: Payment in return for something

ungodly : 1. Not revering God; impious. 2. Sinful; wicked

Today’s verse is the last one in this chapter, and is another way of saying, “You will reap what you sow.” It tells us that those that are morally upright, and without guilt or sin, will receive a “just” payment for the way they have lived. We have seen, in other studies, that living wisely (following God’s Will and ways) bring rewards in our lives here on earth in the blessings that God pours out on us: Peace, Joy, Love, etc.

The second part of this verse says that those that don’t follow God’s way, but choose to live in a sinful and wicked way, will also be “payed back” for the things that they do. We need to remember to build our "house" or life, upon the rock of God and not the sand of Sin.

Proverbs 11: 30 Fruit of the Righteous

Proverbs 11: 30 (NKJV)

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
And he who wins souls is wise.

The following definitions were taken from the Online Dictionary…

fruit: Result; outcome (in this usage of the word)

righteous: Morally upright; without guilt or sin

tree of life: A tree in the Garden of Eden whose fruit, if eaten, gave everlasting life

wins: To achieve success in an effort or venture

soul: 1. The animating and vital principle in humans, credited with the faculties of thought, action, and emotion and often conceived as an immaterial entity. 2. The spiritual nature of humans, regarded as immortal, separable from the body at death, and susceptible to happiness or misery in a future state. 3. A person considered as the perfect embodiment of an intangible quality; a personification 4. A person's emotional or moral nature:


Using these definitions, we see that this verse tells us, those that follow a life of righteousness will have the result of gaining everlasting life. Also, they are wise if they achieve success in bringing another person’s immortal, moral nature into a relationship with God so that they can become morally upright and without sin (through the salvation Christ offers).

Proverbs 11: 29 Heir or Servant

Proverbs 11: 29 (NKJV)

29 He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind,

And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

heir: 1. A person who inherits or is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another. 2. A person who succeeds or is in line to succeed to a hereditary rank, title, or office. 3. One who receives or is expected to receive a heritage, as of ideas, from a predecessor.

v. troubles: 1. To agitate; stir up. 2. To afflict with pain or discomfort. 3. To cause emotional strain or anxiety to; worry or distress. 4. To inconvenience; bother

servant: 1. One who expresses submission, recognizance, or debt to another


The first part of today’s verse talks about a person who agitates, or stirs up problems in their own home. This type of person brings worry, distress and emotional strain to all those around them. A person of this type can cause so much trouble that they could be “kicked out” or “disinherited” from the family, thus inheriting nothing but “wind/air” in the long run.

The second part of the verse goes on to say that a person that is foolish like this, will end up serving or owing others who are “wise of heart.” In past verses, we have seen that, in the Bible, God considers a person to be “wise of heart” when they follow His leading and teachings in their lives.

Several of the “Fruits of the Spirit,” which grow in those that DO choose to follow God and become born again so that His Spirit lives within them, are attributes that would be the opposite of “stirring up troubles,” but instead, will bring peace and love into the family.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Proverbs 11: 22 Women Without Discretion

Today’s verse tells us what God thinks about women who lack discretion…

Proverbs 11: 22 (NKJV)

22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,

So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.

The word "discretion" means: 1. The quality of being discreet; circumspection 2. Ability or power to decide responsibly.

If someone put a “ring of gold” in a pig’s nose, it wouldn’t be seen as being very pretty because the filth that most pigs live in, will, very quickly, make it be soiled beyond recognition. This is the way that God feels about a woman who is not discreet and doesn’t take the time to learn to act responsibly. No matter how pretty the woman is to look at, she will quickly lose that “loveliness” as disgust at her lack of integrity make themselves known.

Proverbs 11: 15 Beware of Signing for Other’s Debts

Proverbs 11: 15 (NKJV)

15 He who is surety for a stranger will suffer,
But one who hates being surety is secure.

The definition of “surety” is: 1. a person who takes legal responsibility for the fulfillment of another's debt or obligation 2. security given as a guarantee that an obligation will be met.

This verse warns us that becoming responsible for someone else’s debt is not very wise. It gives the impression that IF you should even think about doing this for someone, you should be very sure that you know that person VERY well. If you don’t, you are taking a big chance and you should understand that this can cause all kinds of problems between you and the person that you are trying to help.

I would tend to think that if a “stranger” would even ask a person that they didn’t know, to do something like this for them, then it would be likely that they would be trying to take advantage of that person.

The second part of this verse seems to imply that “hating” to be in that type of situation is actually being very wise, and this kind of wisdom will cause the person to be secure in their own financial dealings.

Proverbs 11: 14 The Need for Counsel

Proverbs 11: 14 (NKJV)

14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall;

But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Counsel: 1. The act of exchanging opinions and ideas; consultation. 2. Advice or guidance, especially as solicited from a knowledgeable person. 3. A plan of action. 4. Private, guarded thoughts or opinions: 5. A lawyer or group of lawyers giving legal advice and especially conducting a case in court.

Counselors: 1. A person who gives counsel; an adviser. 2. An attorney, especially a trial lawyer.

In the Jewish culture, as we have seen before, the elders and wise men of the community would gather at the gates or certain special places in the towns and cities to discuss important matters. Often the younger men (Jewish men were considered to be “men” after their bar mitzvah at age 13) would come to learn by listening to the elder’s discussions. This is one of the main ways that they would learn.

With this type of cultural life, the young person would learn how wise it was to listen to or “take counsel” from older, more knowledgable people around them. They would see that those that despised listening to, and learning from, these leaders would cause people to have many problems and fall into many of life’s “traps.” Conversely, those that do mingle with, and learn from, the wise, will make wise decisions.

We need to understand that when we have problems or big decisions to make, we should step back and find someone who is proficient in that type of problem or decision, and consult with them. It would be wise to discuss the various points, so that we will be able to make informed decisions before we make our plan of action. We should beware of trying to figure out “big things” without taking “counsel,” for God says that could cause us to “fall.”