Commentary - Proverbs 23:9

Bird's-eye view

This proverb is a piece of intensely practical wisdom concerning the stewardship of our words. It is a lesson in spiritual triage. The Bible instructs us to be ready in season and out of season to give an answer for the hope that is in us, but it does not instruct us to do so with no regard for the audience. This verse teaches a crucial aspect of godly communication: discernment. There are times when speaking the truth is not only ineffective but also counterproductive. To offer the pearls of godly wisdom to one who is constitutionally opposed to it is to invite contempt upon the wisdom itself. The proverb is not a command to abandon fools to their folly, but rather a strategic directive to cease a particular tactic when it is proven to be fruitless. It calls for a realistic assessment of a man's heart, recognizing that some doors are closed not for lack of a key, but because they are barred from the inside.

At its core, this is about recognizing the nature of biblical folly. A fool in Proverbs is not a man with a low IQ; he is a man in moral rebellion against God. His problem is not a lack of information but a rebellious heart. Therefore, a simple data transfer of wise words will not solve his problem. Until the Spirit of God addresses the heart of the problem, which is the heart, the words of wisdom will be despised. This proverb, then, is a guard against the naivete of the righteous, reminding us that our good faith and reasonable explanations are not always met in kind. It is a call to be shrewd as serpents, knowing when to speak and when to save our breath for cooling our porridge.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 23 is part of a larger section often called "The Words of the Wise" (Proverbs 22:17-24:34). This collection of sayings differs slightly in form from the short, pithy couplets that dominate the middle of the book. These are often longer, more developed instructions. This particular verse follows warnings about dealing with rulers, stingy hosts, and the deceptive allure of wealth. It fits within a series of practical instructions for navigating a fallen world populated by various kinds of difficult people. The immediate context is one of social and relational wisdom. Just as you must be discerning at a king's table (23:1-3) and with a miser's bread (23:6-8), you must also be discerning with your words when in the company of a fool. This is not ivory tower philosophy; it is street-level guidance for how a righteous man is to conduct himself among his neighbors, some of whom are committed to their folly.

Key Issues

Pearls Before Swine

This proverb is the Old Testament equivalent of what the Lord Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount when He said, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces" (Matt. 7:6). The "insight of your speech" is a precious thing; it is a pearl. It is the distilled wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord. A fool, in his rebellion, is like a pig in the mud. A pig has no categories for appreciating a pearl. It cannot be eaten, and it is no fun to roll on. The pig's only response is to trample the useless object underfoot and, in its frustration, turn on the one who offered it.

The common mistake that reasonable people make is to assume that all other people are also reasonable. We assume that a good argument or a clear explanation will be received with gratitude, because that is how we would receive it. But this is a failure to recognize the spiritual reality of the fool. His problem is not in his ears or his intellect; it is in his will. He is morally bent. His heart is set against God, and therefore against God's wisdom. To speak wisdom to him is to present him with the very thing he has determined to hate. His despising of your words is not an incidental reaction; it is the necessary and consistent outworking of his character.

Verse by Verse Commentary

9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,

The instruction is a straightforward prohibition. There are certain situations where the righteous man is commanded to hold his tongue. The setting is crucial: "in the hearing of a fool." This is not a blanket command to never speak to a fool under any circumstances. The book of Proverbs elsewhere says, "Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit" (Prov. 26:5). So there are times for a sharp, corrective answer. This verse is addressing a different scenario. It is not about the quick rebuke, but about laying out wisdom, offering counsel, explaining deep things. It is the attempt to have a reasonable conversation with an unreasonable man. It is the effort to teach a man who has no desire to learn.

We must be clear on what a fool is. Scripture does not define a fool as someone who is uneducated or unintelligent. A man can have a doctorate from a prestigious university and be a consummate fool. A fool is one who says in his heart, "There is no God" (Ps. 14:1). He is a moral rebel, not an intellectual lightweight. Folly is a settled state of heart that is hostile to God's authority and, consequently, to God's wisdom. When you have identified that you are in the presence of such a man, the command is to stop talking. Cease the instruction. Pack up your pearls.

For he will despise the insight of your speech.

Here is the reason for the command, the "why" behind the "what." The outcome is predictable. Your words, full of insight and good sense, will be met with contempt. The Hebrew word for despise (buz) means to hold in contempt, to scorn, to treat as worthless. The fool does not simply disagree with your wisdom; he loathes it. He sees it as an affront to his autonomy, a challenge to his own self-enthronement. Your wisdom shines a light on his folly, and he hates the light. So he will mock your words, twist them, and trample them in the mud of his own foolishness.

Notice that it is the "insight" or "wisdom" (sekel) of your words that he despises. He is not despising you personally, though it will feel that way. He is despising the substance of what you are saying because its source is the God he rejects. The insight you offer is a threat to his entire operating system. To accept it would require him to repent, to humble himself, to admit he was wrong, and to bow the knee to God. The fool is defined by his unwillingness to do any of these things. Therefore, his only recourse is to despise the wisdom you offer. To continue speaking is not only a waste of your time, it makes a holy thing an object of scorn. There are times when the most honoring thing you can do for the truth is to refuse to subject it to certain contempt.

Application

So how does this work out on Monday morning? This proverb requires immense discernment. We are not given license to be rude, to dismiss people out of hand, or to label everyone who disagrees with us as a fool. We are called to be patient, gentle, and winsome. We should begin every conversation with the charitable assumption that the other person is willing to reason. We must be quick to hear and slow to speak.

But we must also not be naive. As the conversation unfolds, we must be listening not just to the words but to the heart behind them. Is this person asking honest questions, or are they just setting traps? Are they genuinely wrestling with an issue, or are they simply mocking? Is there a desire for truth, or only for self-justification? When it becomes apparent that you are dealing with a sealed heart, a man who loves his folly and despises correction, then Proverbs 23:9 kicks in. At that point, you are released from the obligation to continue the argument. It is not quitting; it is obedience. You politely end the conversation. You save your breath for another day, another person. You entrust the fool to God, who alone can perform the miracle of heart surgery that is required.

In our age of social media, this is a particularly relevant word. The Internet is teeming with fools who have no intention of listening and every intention of despising. The wise Christian will learn to recognize the signs and will not feel compelled to cast his pearls into every digital pigsty that presents itself. Our words are a gift, and we are to be good stewards of them. And good stewardship sometimes means putting them back in the box.