Whoever shows contempt for his neighbor lacks judgment, but a man of understanding remains silent.
Parallel translations
- WEB One who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of understanding holds his peace.
- KJV He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
- NKJV He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor, But a man of understanding holds his peace.
- NASB One who despises his neighbor lacks sense, But a person of understanding keeps silent.
- NLT It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor; a sensible person keeps quiet.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Belittling your neighbor shows a lack of sense, while the discerning person holds his tongue. Wisdom restrains contemptuous speech.
Overview
The proverb contrasts the fool who despises and disparages others with the understanding person who keeps silent rather than tear down. Restraint of speech is a mark of true wisdom. This anticipates the love of neighbor that Christ commands, which refuses contempt and seeks the good of others.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Pet 2:23When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
- Prov 10:19When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.
- Luke 16:14The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus.
- Luke 18:9To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
- Prov 14:21He who despises his neighbor sins, but blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor.
- Ps 123:3–4Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt.
- 1 Sam 10:27But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.
- Judg 9:38“Where is your gloating now?” Zebul replied. “You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!”
- John 7:48–52“Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him?
- 2 Kgs 18:36But the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, “Do not answer him.”
- Neh 4:2–4before his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Can they restore the wall by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”
- Judg 9:27–29And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 11:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.